NUJP calls on newsrooms to address employee concerns amid reports of media company shutdown

nujp calls on newsrooms to address employee concerns amid reports of media company shutdown

TANKING The CNN logo is displayed at the entrance to the CNN Center in Atlanta on Feb. 2, 2022. Cable news ratings are down across the board compared to 2022. AP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines: The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) called on the management of newsrooms and news organizations to address the concerns of their employees, amid reports that media company CNN Philippines is shutting down.

The group, in a statement on Friday, said those producing content for the channel are the last to know.

“As reports emerge of a looming shutdown of operations and attendant layoffs at CNN Philippines, we note that network management has yet to talk to its media workers about their future,” the NUJP said.

“As is common in these situations, those who produce the content and whose lives stand to be most affected by corporate decisions seem to be the last to know about them,” it added. “Reports of the potential shutdown mention severance packages for affected personnel, and we hope that this will be the case if any layoffs are announced.”

According to reports, the shutdown of CNN Philippines and its parent company Nine Media Corporation agreed not to continue with their licensing agreement as a result of “significant financial losses.”

“The apparent lack of communication between management and staff over the coming changes highlights the need for workplace organizing to, at minimum, ensure that employees are kept abreast of corporate developments that will affect them,” the NUJP wrote.

“As the media workers of CNN Philippines wait for more definite word on ways forward, we call on management in other newsrooms and news organizations to proactively address similar concerns of their employees,” it added. “More than passion and dedication to the profession, media workers need clear lines of communication with newsroom leaders, as well as a say in matters that affect their careers and their daily lives.”

The group called it “cruel” that employees of companies, let alone news organizations, have to find out about their future through news reports and even gossip.

“It is cruel to have to find out about your company’s potential plans from news reports and from gossip instead of from leadership that expects media workers to be on call and updated on issues of the day but are silent on pressing workplace issues,” the journalists’ union said.

As of posting time, The Manila Times reached out to Nine Media Corporation chairman D. Edgard Cabangon regarding the status of the channel, but is yet to respond.

CNN Philippines had been on the air since 2015, after Nine Media signed a deal with Turner Broadcasting System. Notable anchors on the channel include veterans Rico Hizon, Pia Hontiveros, Ruth Cabal, and Pinky Webb.

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Aliw Awards nominations out

ALIW Awards Foundation Inc. President Alice H. Reyes has released the names of finalists for the 2023 Aliw Awards to be presented on Dec. 11, 2023, at the Manila Hotel ... Read more »

WhatsApp Web gains the feature of single-view photos and videos

WhatsApp Web gains the feature of single-view photos and videos (Photo: Unsplash) The WhatsApp Web, the desktop version of the popular messaging app from Meta, has received an update allowing ... Read more »

Young athletes’ time to shine in Siklab Awards

Young athletes’ time to shine in Siklab Awards MANILA, Philippines — The future heroes of Philippine sports will be honored during the third Siklab Youth Sports Awards on Dec. 4 ... Read more »

Local exec says 5-10 barangays still isolated in Northern Samar

Graphics by Jannielyn Ann Bigtas A local government official said Monday that five to 10 barangays in Northern Samar are still isolated following the massive flooding in the area last ... Read more »

App made by ex-jeepney driver will let you pay PUV fare, book tricycles

DyipPay app lets you pay jeepney fare, book tricycles “Barya lang po sa umaga.” Everyone who rides jeepneys knows this rule: it may not be an actual law, but it’s ... Read more »

Updated In-Season Tournament Bracket ahead of pool play finale

Updated In-Season Tournament Bracket ahead of pool play finale Tuesday will mark the last day of pool play for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. From there, six first-place teams and ... Read more »

PCG forms teams for maritime emergency response

PCG forms teams for maritime emergency response MANILA, Philippines — Recent incidents of fishermen lost in the waters off Southern Tagalog have prompted the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to form ... Read more »
Top List in the World