Torstar/The Star - Hypocrits Beyond Compare

[Keepitsimple]

The Star goes out of its way to attack every move made by Toronto's mayor, Rob Ford, to downsize the city workforce and bring the annual budget under reasonable control. Gutting services is the cry - we won't know the city when he's finished. This - in the context of nearly every country and city in the world going through the same process. Now what do we hear? Well, it seems that Torstar is downsizing/cutting/gutting/laying off about 20% of it's workforce, including hundreds at The Star. Somehow - they'll convince us that their "service" will not be disrupted - that they are re-structuring. Oh - and look at that - they tried to contract out some work. But the city - arguably planning to reduce its workforce by somewhere between 3 and 4% - is on its way to ruin. Have a read:

A spokesman for Canada's largest daily newspaper publisher Torstar Corp. says the company plans to offer voluntary severance packages to its 1,050 Toronto Star employees.

The negotiations are the latest in a string of belt tightening moves at the Toronto Star's operations in recent years.

Shortly before Holland's tenure began in 2009, Torstar had cut about 300 employees from its workforce primarily though layoffs, voluntary severance and retirements.In 2009, management at the Toronto Star had also hoped to contract out newsroom production work and cut 121 jobs in editorial and pre-publishing operations. But it eventually struck a cost-cutting deal with its union to save some of those jobs.

Last week, Torstar reported its third-quarter net profits jumped 74 per cent to $25.2 million.

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/11/10/torstar-layoff-buyout.html

[cybercoma]

I wasn't aware the Toronto Star was a non-profit corporation that can raise as much money as it wants, whenever it wants by taxing people.

[waldo]

following up on the relatively recent 600 Sun Media layoffs, just last week Quebecor announced the cutting of another 400 Sun Media jobs ... oh, and overall Quebecor revenues are up! Somehow - they'll convince us that their "service" will not be disrupted - that they are re-structuring.

[blueblood]

I wasn't aware the Toronto Star was a non-profit corporation that can raise as much money as it wants, whenever it wants by taxing people.

Do you know how an economy works?

[cybercoma]

I know enough that comparing a municipality to a private corporation is like comparing apples and oranges. Sure they're both fruit, but the similarities stop there.

[blueblood]

I know enough that comparing a municipality to a private corporation is like comparing apples and oranges. Sure they're both fruit, but the similarities stop there.

I suppose you haven't heard about municipalities down south going broke. Can't have too many employees

[MiddleClassCentrist]

The Star goes out of its way to attack every move made by Toronto's mayor, Rob Ford, to downsize the city workforce and bring the annual budget under reasonable control. Gutting services is the cry - we won't know the city when he's finished. This - in the context of nearly every country and city in the world going through the same process. Now what do we hear? Well, it seems that Torstar is downsizing/cutting/gutting/laying off about 20% of it's workforce, including hundreds at The Star. Somehow - they'll convince us that their "service" will not be disrupted - that they are re-structuring. Oh - and look at that - they tried to contract out some work. But the city - arguably planning to reduce its workforce by somewhere between 3 and 4% - is on its way to ruin. Have a read:

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/11/10/torstar-layoff-buyout.html

Wouldn't you be glad? The left leaning news paper isn't healthy enough to be hiring.

I don't like Rob Ford. But he was trying to do exactly what people elected him to do: make cuts. That's not really news... at least to me.

[cybercoma]

I suppose you haven't heard about municipalities down south going broke. Can't have too many employees

So? The OP criticizes The Star for cutting staff by comparing it to staff cuts in the government. What do Southern municpalities going broke have to do with anything? For that matter what does staff cuts in government have to do with anything?

[blueblood]

So? The OP criticizes The Star for cutting staff by comparing it to staff cuts in the government. What do Southern municpalities going broke have to do with anything? For that matter what does staff cuts in government have to do with anything?

If you don't have money you can't afford workers, gov't or corporation. Ask GM and Greece.

[cybercoma]

Yeah, thanks. They're both fruit.

[Archanfel]

Hahaha, that's funny. However, you need to remember that being left-wing is a brand. Just like Fox news being the right wing is a brand. It doesn't matter what the Star management believes in, their loyal readers expect them to be left-wing. It's a service the Star provides to its readers just like when Fox stirs up right wing sentiments. All in the name of money making.

[Shwa]

Hahaha, that's funny. However, you need to remember that being left-wing is a brand. Just like Fox news being the right wing is a brand. It doesn't matter what the Star management believes in, their loyal readers expect them to be left-wing. It's a service the Star provides to its readers just like when Fox stirs up right wing sentiments. All in the name of money making.

Well that is pretty obvious, since they are a major media outlet. They have to get the "news" to their readership, which is a subject that as been amply covered here at MLW. Do a search.

However, comparing their staff cuts to the staff/service cuts at the City is over-reaching far enough to cause an OP faceplant.

[Boges]

Well that is pretty obvious, since they are a major media outlet. They have to get the "news" to their readership, which is a subject that as been amply covered here at MLW. Do a search.

However, comparing their staff cuts to the staff/service cuts at the City is over-reaching far enough to cause an OP faceplant.

Yes because Public Servants are more important.

[Shwa]

Yes because Public Servants are more important.

So essentially what you are saying is that no newspaper should ever discuss layoffs in any other economic sector because they might become "Hypocrits Beyond Compare?"

[Boges]

So essentially what you are saying is that no newspaper should ever discuss layoffs in any other economic sector because they might become "Hypocrits Beyond Compare?"

Maybe not "beyond compare" but it is a bit hypocritical if you ask me.

We'd have to see which jobs the City are actually cutting. Are they redundant?

We can trust the Star to objectively take a look at who's actually getting pink slips.

Edited December 5, 2011 by Boges

[Shwa]

Maybe not "beyond compare" but it is a bit hypocritical if you ask me.

[Boges]

Yourself.

[Shwa]

Yourself.

[Boges]

Can't really argue this issue based on facts. It's more one of personal opinions and feelings about job losses.

No one wants to see people lose their jobs. But are the jobs potentially lost in the City of Toronto more of an outrage than private sector jobs lost?

[Boges]

Hahaha, that's funny. However, you need to remember that being left-wing is a brand. Just like Fox news being the right wing is a brand. It doesn't matter what the Star management believes in, their loyal readers expect them to be left-wing. It's a service the Star provides to its readers just like when Fox stirs up right wing sentiments. All in the name of money making.

This is correct. The Star has an editorial bias but they are a private corporation run just like any other corporation that people like the Occupiers rage against.

[Shwa]

This is correct. The Star has an editorial bias but they are a private corporation run just like any other corporation that people like the Occupiers rage against.

Except they report the news, including stories about the Occupiers rage, so the Occupiers rage less against them.

[The_Squid]

It is not hypocritical of op/eds to criticize job cuts when the company that the authors work for cuts jobs.

Try not to confuse the company with the columnists who work for the company.

[treehugger]

I know of a lot of people that quit the star for the ugly exagerated, fear mongering things that they kept printing in the paper before during and after the Toronto election. Who wants to pay good money to keep reading that garbage every day.

What goes around comes around star!

[Shwa]

What goes around comes around star!

Yes, it's called 'circulation' and they know about it too since they have the highest circulation in Canada.

[treehugger]

Yes, it's called 'circulation' and they know about it too since they have the highest circulation in Canada.

The whole point was that the star continually gloats with their articles making fun of Rob Ford every time he did something, including LAYING UNION MEMBERS OFF. Now it's happening to them. That's called what goes around comes around. :rolleyes: