160 Fairfax staff asked to re-apply for jobs

Up to 160 editorial staff are being asked to re-apply for their jobs in the latest round of restructuring at Fairfax Media New Zealand.

Fairfax held meetings with editorial staff today with human resources staff.

Fairfax has said there would be no job losses announced as a result of the restructuring.

However, it has not spelt out how many new jobs would be created under the proposal to further organise its editorial operations into focused, local teams and specialist national topic areas.

Sinead Boucher, Executive Editor at Fairfax Media, says teams will be digital-centric and built around audiences and content - not specific products or mastheads.

Last week Fairfax announced a new editorial leadership team, with roles focussed on audiences across local regions and specialist content areas - including Life & Style, Business, National News and Sport.

Fairfax business title The Australian Financial Review recently tipped further job losses at Fairfax titles The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Like other media companies, Fairfax has faced challenges from changes in the way people use media and an advertiser shift to digital media.

- by John Drinnan, The New Zealand Herald