Financial Post pages in The Gazette

Gazette readers were surprised today to find two pages in their newspaper that didn’t look like they belonged there.

The pages, produced by the Financial Post (a part of the National Post), were inserted into The Gazette, and identical pages inserted into all 10 Canwest-owned daily newspapers, as well as the Winnipeg Free Press (the National Post is no longer available for home delivery in Winnipeg). They include comment pieces from Financial Post writers that appear in the same day’s Financial Post, and a markets summary page similar to what appears in the Post.

This latter page replaces the Saturday stock listings that had already been reduced from three pages to one. Among the latest cuts:

• Bond listings are deleted entirely
• NYSE and NASDAQ’s 100 most active stocks are deleted, leaving only the top 10 winners and losers
• The three main indexes list only the daily change, and no longer include volume, daily highs and lows, or 52-week highs and lows
• The TSX industry indexes are deleted
• The number of foreign currencies listed drops from 40 to 10
• Mutual fund listings are deleted entirely, though The Gazette says they will “return soon”

In order to fit these new pages in the continually-shrinking Saturday Business section, the amount of locally-produced content has shrunk from five pages to less than three.

The Montreal Newspaper Guild believes this is a gross assault on the independence of local newspapers that hasn’t been seen since Canwest attempted to institute a national editorial policy shortly after purchasing the newspaper chain. Not only that, but subscribers to both The Gazette and the National Post are treated to intentional duplication of content.

The Gazette has no control over the content of these pages. Gazette copy editors and managers are not permitted to alter their content in any way.

Gazette Vice-President of Marketing Bernard Asselin told CTV News this week that “The Gazette’s goal, which is the same as the union’s goal, is to protect local content.”

With this move, it seems clear that The Gazette’s goals are subject to veto by Canwest management.

Do you believe pages in your Gazette should be replaced with nationally-produced Financial Post content? Do you believe The Gazette should have control over its own pages? Sign our petition and tell Gazette and Canwest management that you will not tolerate the continued erosion of local news.

Can you spot the local content on these pages?

Ottawa Citizen

Starting today, the Citizen’s Business & Technology section brings you two pages of highlights from the Financial Post. Each day from Tuesday through Saturday, you’ll find the trusted business analysis, markets insights and personal finance information that make the Financial Post an indispensable source of business intelligence. We welcome your comments. Please send them to feedback@thecitizen.canwest.com

Vancouver Sun

We’re very pleased to introduce today two new pages of content from the Financial Post. … I am delighted that this high-quality content is now part of your Vancouver Sun reading experience.

Calgary Herald

Beginning today, Herald readers will benefit from a new partnership between Calgary Business and the Financial Post.

Edmonton Journal

Edmonton’s best source of local business news is getting a special value-added boost from Canada’s most trusted financial newspaper — the Financial Post.

Victoria Times-Colonist

Starting today, one of Canada’s most trusted sources of financial news will become a regular part of the Times Colonist Business section.

Windsor Star

Today’s Windsor Star introduces a new feature designed to make you a better money manager. Two pages of stories, columns, graphs and charts from the highly respected Financial Post will break down market activity and give you the latest advice from top experts. … We hope you enjoy this enhanced coverage, and invite you to give us your opinion by dropping a line to fp@thestar.canwest.com

Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Regina Leader-Post

Here’s our take on The Gazette’s television commercials. Please share it (on Facebook or in other ways). You can also sign our petition or show your support in other ways.

Here’s our take on The Gazette’s television commercials. Please share it (on Facebook or in other ways). You can also sign our petition or show your support in other ways.

Today, Montreal Gazette employees are launching a petition asking Canwest to stop outsourcing the production of our newspaper outside Quebec as part of the company’s ongoing efforts across Canada to centralize the work performed for its “local” newspapers. We are engaged in a struggle to keep the “Montreal” in the Montreal Gazette and we are asking for your help.

The Montreal Newspaper Guild is currently in contract negotiations with the company, and they are demanding changes that will give them carte blanche to move the production of our newspaper to non-union shops in Hamilton, Ont. and Winnipeg. The company began doing this last year in violation of the contract, and there has already been a noticeable drop in quality.

We believe a local paper should be produced by local, qualified professionals, and that Montrealers want The Gazette’s profits invested in making the newspaper better instead of being shovelled to Canwest’s head office in Winnipeg.

The petition reads as follows:

Montreal Gazette employees are fighting to preserve a vibrant English-language daily newspaper produced in Montreal to serve Montrealers.

The Gazette’s owners, Winnipeg-based Canwest Inc., are moving more and more of The Gazette’s editorial and customer-service operations out of the province of Quebec in violation of the employees’ collective agreements. Now, in contract negotiations, Canwest is demanding the removal of impediments to outsource any remaining work outside of Quebec in order to facilitate lay offs in Montreal.

These moves threaten to diminish Canada’s diversity of voices, whittle down local input and stifle The Gazette’s vital role of covering local news and reflecting Montrealers’ values, concerns and culture. The Gazette has been a proud Montreal institution since 1778 and its readers deserve better than Canwest’s plans to further downsize, centralize and outsource to maximize profits.

The newspaper is operated by Canwest, however it is the public that will ultimately decide whether it will tolerate a “local” newspaper produced elsewhere. Gazette staff are appealing to the Montreal community to tell Canwest to keep the “Montreal” in the Montreal Gazette.

You can sign it here.