The proposed purchase of AAP Newswire announced this afternoon is a crucial recognition of the vital role AAP plays in the Australian media ecosystem, says MEAA, the union for Australia's journalists.
MEAA Media section federal president Marcus Strom said: "The proposed purchase will see the retention of up to 75 editorial jobs that just a week ago looked to be lost. Unfortunately, this change of ownership as a result of the decision of Nine Entertainment Co. and News Corp to no longer use AAP's services will still lead to a loss of a number of jobs.
"AAP plays a very necessary role in news coverage for all Australians. Had we lost AAP, then we would all be the poorer. AAP Newswire provides journalism coverage in the areas that the other major news outlets either cannot or choose not to. Without it, our communities would be less informed and vital stories - from the courts to sports, images and breaking news plus many other areas - would not be told.
"MEAA said that it was short-sighted for AAP's major shareholders to not fully appreciate the importance and value of the business they had owned for decades. It is fortunate that there were others who did recognise AAP's worth which has led to today's announcement," Strom said.
"MEAA will be consulting with our members and will seek a meeting with the consortium's management team to discuss the transition process so that we can continue to look after the interests of all our members across the AAP business," he said.
