Strike threats but Guardian expansion set
Katharine Viner, who joined the newspaper in 1997, was set to lead a Guardian Australia team that would work in collaboration with Graeme Wood, the founder of accommodation website Wotif.com and backer of non-profit, online media venture The Global Mail, the London Evening Standard reported.
A spokeswoman for The Guardian would not comment on the report, only saying in a statement to AAP: "As The Guardian's reach grows it's natural that we continually explore a wide range of opportunities and partnerships."
In Britain The Guardian's publisher - Guardian News & Media - said it was set to axe 68 editorial jobs to save £7 million ($10.8 million) from its annual editorial budget.
The company called for voluntary redundancies but said just over 30 staff came forward, increasing the likelihood that it would have to turn to compulsory job cuts. The voluntary redundancy scheme closed on Friday.
Journalists at The Guardian and its Sunday newspaper The Observer voted last week to go on strike if compulsory redundancies were put in place.
This week, Fairfax Media confirmed it was moving ahead with the sale of its 51 per cent stake in Trade Me to institutional investors at about $3.05 a share, yielding $616 million.
The sale of Trade Me was expected to cut Fairfax's net debt to below $200 million.
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The article reports that The Guardian has reportedly appointed its deputy editor to lead an online expansion into Australia, with plans for a Guardian Australia team to work in collaboration with backer Graeme Wood. A Guardian spokeswoman declined to comment on the report but said the paper continually explores a wide range of opportunities and partnerships as its reach grows.
Katharine Viner, who joined The Guardian in 1997 and is the paper's deputy editor, was reportedly set to head the Guardian Australia team. The report said she would lead a team working in collaboration with Graeme Wood, though The Guardian would not formally comment on the appointment.
Journalists at The Guardian and its sister paper The Observer voted to go on strike if voluntary editorial redundancies are made compulsory. The vote followed the publisher's plan to cut editorial roles as part of cost-saving measures.
Guardian News & Media said it was set to axe 68 editorial jobs to save about £7 million (around $10.8 million) from its annual editorial budget.
The Guardian called for voluntary redundancies but said just over 30 staff came forward before the voluntary scheme closed, increasing the likelihood that the publisher may have to move to compulsory job cuts.
The article notes the reported appointment to lead the Australia expansion came just days after journalists voted to strike if compulsory redundancies are imposed. The Guardian's spokeswoman said the organisation is exploring opportunities and partnerships as its reach grows.
Fairfax Media confirmed it was moving ahead with the sale of its 51% stake in Trade Me to institutional investors at about $3.05 a share, a transaction that yielded roughly $616 million.
The article says the sale of Trade Me was expected to cut Fairfax's net debt to below $200 million.
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