Six French-language newspapers going digital-only, cutting nearly 100 jobs
The Coops de l'information (CN2i) said Wednesday it will stop printing weekly editions of six newspapers at the end of the year and cut about 100 positions, or about a third of its workforce.
The newspapers Le Droit, Le Soleil, La Tribune, Le Nouvelliste, La Voix de l'Est and Le Quotidien, which had kept a paper edition on Saturdays, will cease to be printed at the end of December, the company confirmed in a text published on the website of its different publications.
In the process, about 100 positions could be eliminated out of about 350 employees. The cooperative hopes that voluntary departures will avoid layoffs, however, the paper-related employees will be affected.
The union side says management has not yet given a specific plan, but there is an openness to find the best way to ensure CN2i's survival with the least negative impact on employees, says Annick Charette, president of the CSN's National Federation of Communications and Culture, in an interview. The atmosphere is not confrontational.
The abolition of positions has indirectly already begun, since the co-op recently decreed a hiring freeze, Charette added.
It was not possible to get an immediate reaction from management. Geneviève Rossier, executive director of the Coops de l'information, told the Journal de Montréal that a voluntary departure program would be put in place starting in June. Rossier, who took up her post in March, was previously head of the French-language service of The Canadian Press.
The six dailies will be entirely distributed on digital platforms. The cooperative is planning a new web interface for its sites as well as new applications.
The publications had already begun a partial abandonment of paper when they stopped publishing their paper editions from Monday to Friday in March 2020.
It's a tough environment for print newspapers. Printing costs are under inflationary pressure at the same time that a portion of their advertising revenues have migrated to web giants like Facebook and Google.
Last December, the Journal de Québec and the Journal de Montréal announced that they would stop printing their Sunday editions at the beginning of 2023.
In October, Postmedia stopped printing the Monday editions of nine of its publications, including the Montreal Gazette.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 29, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
opinion Harry and Meghan's Nigerian adventure: traditional attire to warm welcomes
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.
Ontario's need for nurses, PSWs to top 33K and 50K by 2032: document
Ontario will need 33,200 more nurses and 50,853 more personal support workers by 2032, the government projects — figures it tried to keep secret but were obtained by The Canadian Press.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
DEVELOPING Michael Cohen takes the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
'It happened so fast': Evacuees describe fleeing Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire
Thousands have been forced to flee a wildfire burning near Fort Nelson. Meanwhile, some experienced volunteers are staying behind to fight the fire.