New Zealand's press council has sounded a warning about the outsourcing of production and subediting. It says reduced local oversight of newspapers brings "an increased risk of simple factual errors being overlooked and of offending local sensitivities". Last year APN New Zealand, an arm of Independent News & Media, outsourced much of its production to a central hub in Auckland operated by an Australian company, Pagemasters.
Last week New Zealand's other big print group, Fairfax Media, announced it was forming "national centres of expertise" in Wellington and Christchurch to produce several sections of its nine daily titles. But editing and layout of local and sports pages would remain under the control of individual papers.
That cuts no ice with the press council. It says: "The continuing trend for newspaper and magazine publishers to cut costs by reducing staff and centralising production seems certain to raise questions of editorial control."
The watchdog adds that a consequent "loss of identity might be resented by readers to the productions' long-term cost... There is no doubt that newspaper and magazine managements are aware of the value of preserving reader loyalty but the cost savings might prove even more tempting."
The press council is mainly funded by the newspaper groups. (Sources: New Zealand Herald/NZPA)
