By M L Satyan

Bengaluru, April 17, 2020: National lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 has affected all sectors and people of all walks of life in India. One such sector is media and journalists.

In view of the large number of lay-offs and salary cuts announced by several media organisations, the National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ) and Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) have accused media owners of using the nationwide lockdown as “an excuse for retrenchment and arbitrary pay cuts”.

In a statement, they said the novel coronavirus was “a national crisis and the pain of dealing with this crisis must be accepted by media companies and their shareholders, not passed on to vulnerable employees”.

Stating that “media owners are claiming that they are severely affected by the lockdown, that circulations and advertising have fallen and therefore they are resorting to these measures,” the groups expressed shock at “reports pouring in of sackings and pay cuts in the media at this critical time.”

Pointing to the crisis that has emerged in the print newspaper industry in particular, NAJ-DUJ president, DUJ general secretary and NAJ secretary general said, “In 2016 the media industry misused the demonetization decision to enforce mass retrenchments,” and “today some media companies are threatening to turn the lockdown into a lockout.”

“It is reprehensible that the richest media company, the Times of India group, should resort to firing employees although it can well afford to keep them on the payroll. Employee costs are a small percentage of the huge profits the company makes. Those sacked now include people who have dutifully worked for them for over two decades, contributing to the growth and wealth of the company.”

One of its senior journalists, Nona Walia, had written in her Facebook post about the lay-offs: “The entire team of Sunday Magazine of Times of India was asked to leave. I have been sacked from a company that I served with love for more than two decades.”

The NAJ-DUJ office bearers also referred to cutting of pay by the Indian Express group. A few days ago a note sent by CEO George Verghese to the employees got widely circulated. It read: “Our advertising revenues have been hit hard and all available evidence shows the worst may be yet to come.” Further it declared that the staff would have to undergo a graded pay cuts ranging between 10 and 30 percent, with some senior management and editors taking a 100 percent salary cut.

The Quint has sent almost half its staff on leave without pay besides enforcing pay cuts for the rest. A note sent by the organisation to its employees had stated: “We are forced to request you to proceed on a ‘furlough’ (i.e. leave without pay-LWP) with effect from the 15th of April, until further notice. Your pay for the half-month, from April 1 through 15, shall be processed and released very soon.”

Outlook has stopped its print publication. News Nation has sacked the entire English digital team. The team includes hardworking journalists and social media executives. Amar Ujala has introduced 50 percent salary cut. Nai Duniya (Urdu) and Star of Mysore (evening tabloid) suspended their publications. Hindustan Times (Marathi) is set to lay off entire team including editor in chief. ET Panache and Bombay Time are set to merge with the reduction of 50 percent staff of ET Panache.

The NAJ-DUJ representatives also raised the issue of problems faced by the electronic media. “We wish to point out that hundreds of journalists across the country are currently risking their lives and persons to report news about the spread of the virus and the impact of the lockdown. Some employees at the Times TV studio in Mumbai have reportedly contracted the virus and their colleagues have been shifted to a different location to carry on their work. Journalists today are frontline warriors and deserve support in doing their jobs. Instead, sudden pay cuts and sackings are destroying the morale of media persons today.”

Meanwhile, the journalists’ associations have also said that these decisions by the media organisations have been taken despite Prime Minister’s appeal to employers to show empathy and not deduct salaries or sack their employees during the lockdown.

“The NAJ and DUJ express solidarity with those impacted by the arbitrary moves of media moguls. We demand that media companies immediately restore the jobs and salaries of all employees,” the statement by the NAJ-DUJ office bearers said.

In an overall context of economic slowdown and the prevailing job-insecurity at the workplace, it is understandable that those who have jobs in the media are simply thankful that they continue to work and draw salaries. But this sense of security is false and illusory: “your turn could be next” is the fear in their minds.

Undoubtedly, the lockdown due to Covid-19 has plunged the economy into a major crisis and all sectors have been affected very adversely. But, at such an uncertain and anxious time, these retrenchments are callous beyond belief. The media industry needs to collectively respond to this situation, keeping the welfare of its workers central to its considerations. In addition, the State/Central governments and Judiciary also must come forward to their support. Let not the true journalism and honest journalists wither away!