RNZ plans to cut the equivalent of 58 full-time jobs by the end of March, about one in six of its workforce, after revealing an $11.8 million deficit this afternoon. E tū, the union for media workers, says staff are being made to pay for financial failures they had nothing to do with.
The deficit is more than 25 times the $470,000 RNZ had forecast for the year to June. In its annual report, RNZ admits its internal financial reporting did not show its true position. As a result, it failed to cut costs in line with a 7% cut to its baseline funding. The board has announced an independent review.
Only three months ago, RNZ told staff it would cut 25 to 30 roles. That number has now doubled. Workers have already been through rounds of voluntary redundancies, and 18 have chosen to leave. Many teams have been running short as people who left were not replaced.
Auckland-based RNZ journalist and E tū delegate Melanie Earley says the announcement is disappointing for all workers at RNZ.
“This news has come at a time when RNZ staff should be able to celebrate all the hard mahi they put in over election weekend,” Melanie says.
“Our workforce is already feeling significant pressure from job losses and the loss of so many more jobs will make it even harder for us to meet the needs of New Zealanders and provide the stories that need to be told. Our staff and the public deserve better.”
E tū Director Amy Hansen says RNZ workers have done everything asked of them.
“These are people who care deeply about good journalism. They’ve picked up the work of colleagues who left and weren’t replaced. They’ve grown RNZ’s audience and kept it the most trusted news brand in the country. Now nearly 60 of them are being told they have to go because the books were wrong.”
Amy says RNZ’s own annual report shows what’s at stake. RNZ reached 83% of New Zealanders aged 18 and over every month, radio listening grew 6.6%, and a record 79% of people said it is important for Aotearoa to have public media.
“Commercial newsrooms are shrinking. Stuff and NZME have cut dozens of jobs in the past two years. RNZ’s journalism turns up in newsrooms across the country and the Pacific through content sharing. When RNZ loses reporters, every community that relies on that coverage loses out too.
“Our democracy needs strong public media to hold power to account, and RNZ is carrying more of that load every year.”
Amy says no final decisions on jobs should be made until the next Government is formed.
“The election was on Saturday. Final results aren’t due until 27 November, and we don’t know yet who the next Media Minister will be. This Government has cut RNZ’s funding two years running and signalled more cuts to come. Decisions about RNZ’s future shouldn’t be made while the country waits for a Government.
“RNZ says it has enough money in reserve to get through this year. There’s no need to rush. Get the review done, find out what went wrong, and hold off on cutting jobs until there’s a Government in place to make decisions about public media.
“New Zealanders trust RNZ more than any other news outlet. That trust was built by the people who work there. Don’t make them pay for someone else’s mistakes.”