The strain facing traditional TV news organizations is well-established but a swath of layoffs that cut several of CTV害羞草研究所檚 best-known news personalities was a surprise to many, including national reporter Joyce Napier.

Until last week, Napier served as reporter and Ottawa bureau chief for 害羞草研究所淐TV National News,害羞草研究所� but suddenly found herself jobless when parent BCE Inc. announced Wednesday (June 14) it was shedding 1,300 positions throughout the company, consolidating media operations and closing foreign bureaus.

The cuts raised immediate questions about how the strategy will affect the quality of news coverage and what害羞草研究所檚 in store for CTV害羞草研究所檚 flagship evening newscast.

Reached in Toronto after the announcement, a pragmatic Napier said she害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所減hilosophical害羞草研究所� about the end of a seven-year run with the media giant, which like many companies faces a prolonged advertising slump, fracturing audiences for traditional TV news and expanding tech rivals.

While staff expected 害羞草研究所渁 restructuring害羞草研究所� was in the works, details were 害羞草研究所渧ery much a mystery,害羞草研究所� she said. Her comments were echoed by another laid-off journalist and a former colleague still with the company, neither of whom would go on the record.

害羞草研究所淭he warnings were there, the concerns of the higher-ups were expressed in that the financial situation of Bell Media wasn害羞草研究所檛 ideal,害羞草研究所� said Napier, quick to add that many dedicated, hardworking colleagues remain to steer the ship.

害羞草研究所淵ou don害羞草研究所檛 need to even read between the lines to know that something was coming (but) I did not ever think it was this magnitude.害羞草研究所�

High-profile cuts include senior political correspondent Glen McGregor, chief international correspondent Paul Workman, London news bureau correspondent Daniele Hamamdjian and Los Angeles bureau chief Tom Walters.

Foreign bureaus in London and Los Angeles will close, while the Washington, D.C., office is scaling back 害羞草研究所渢o focus more fully on important news from the U.S.A. and the impacts on Canada,害羞草研究所� vice-president of news Richard Gray said in a letter to staff, adding major stories will still be covered 害羞草研究所渙n-location around the world when needed.害羞草研究所�

Nevertheless, digital news continues to grow and staff will be added elsewhere, Gray added.

He said videographers will immediately be stationed in Regina and St. John害羞草研究所檚, N.L., and later this year in Fredericton and Charlottetown 害羞草研究所� moves that will put CTV National News journalists 害羞草研究所渋n every province for the first time ever.害羞草研究所�

A request to CTV News for comment and further details was declined.

While the full scope of Bell Media害羞草研究所檚 plans have yet to be disclosed, an industry consultant with Pivotal Media said the changes known so far will almost certainly reshape its flagship newscast, 害羞草研究所淐TV National News With Omar Sachedina.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚f you eliminate half of the veteran faces that have been there for a decade plus, of course, it害羞草研究所檚 going to look different. How they fill that vacuum remains to be seen,害羞草研究所� said Jennifer Burke, a former anchor for CTV News Channel who expected more news footage from outside sources.

害羞草研究所淚nstead of Paul Workman reporting out of London or Daniele reporting out of London, they害羞草研究所檒l just take an American feed instead, an American reporter. And that害羞草研究所檚 been done for years. But what we害羞草研究所檙e losing in that is Canadian context, and how whatever story is unfolding around the globe impacts Canada.害羞草研究所�

Marissa Nelson, a vice president with the Minneapolis-based media consulting firm Magid, said TV news networks across North America are facing pressure to evolve with their audience but Canadian companies lag far behind their U.S. counterparts.

While she hasn害羞草研究所檛 examined Bell Media害羞草研究所檚 operations, she said the survival of traditional outlets depends on embracing newer digital models such as ad-based video-on-demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported TV (FAST).

害羞草研究所淐anadian organizations need to move much more quickly to streaming, AVOD, FAST and all of those platforms,害羞草研究所� said the Toronto-based Nelson, formerly of CBC and the Toronto Star.

害羞草研究所淲hile we害羞草研究所檙e seeing broadcasters in Canada start to make those shifts, it isn害羞草研究所檛 in a wholesale way that we need because advertising is decreasing so quickly. One thing is changing really, really quickly and the other side 害羞草研究所� the industry, the content creation side 害羞草研究所� is changing at a much slower pace.害羞草研究所�

Nelson said a lot of what networks stream these days is content made for traditional TV broadcast that has been repurposed for digital platforms.

But if legacy outlets can only cater to one service, she urges them to do the reverse 害羞草研究所� design streaming content that, if needed, can also be repurposed for linear television.

害羞草研究所淭hey need to understand what audiences 害羞草研究所� millennial audiences, in particular 害羞草研究所� want out of local and national news, and reorient the organization to serve that need,害羞草研究所� said Nelson, adding there is no one-size-fits-all fix.

害羞草研究所淵ou know, it isn害羞草研究所檛 traditional TV packages. And it varies from place to place.害羞草研究所�

Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, said he worried changes at Bell Media will lead to local news deserts and fewer senior reporters who can navigate complex stories and mentor young journalists.

He also worried the quality of CTV害羞草研究所檚 news coverage will suffer if fewer staff are expected to maintain the same output.

害羞草研究所淔ewer journalists means more hard work to get the same product out every single day. And that has a personal cost, and it takes a toll on people after a while,害羞草研究所� he said.

From a public relations perspective, Burke said the way the high-profile job cuts were announced is unlikely to sit well with viewers still angered by CTV害羞草研究所檚 surprise split with former chief anchor Lisa LaFlamme, who announced her own departure on social media last August.

Bell Media weathered weeks of blowback and at one point said it 害羞草研究所渞egrets害羞草研究所� the way LaFlamme害羞草研究所檚 exit was handled. The debacle also sparked an independent third-party review of workplace culture in the CTV national newsroom.

害羞草研究所淵ou could argue that how Lisa was let go was a tipping point for Bell Media,害羞草研究所� said Burke.

害羞草研究所淒id that possibly contribute to a loss in advertising revenue? And then did that in turn contribute to (this) layoff?害羞草研究所�

Jolly worried that journalism and news are increasingly being treated as a commodity.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 something that害羞草研究所檚 being devalued by society as we害羞草研究所檙e deepening our relationship with tech platforms and relying on the internet to save us from information vacuums,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淭he public is the one who suffers at the end.害羞草研究所�

Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press

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