Thursday 29 September 2016

More retrenchments?

A friend forwarded me this earlier this morning,


It's a wassap message being circulated among New Straits Times Press Bhd workers at its printing plants in Senai, Johor and Ajil, Terengganu.

It said they are closing them down and the workers there will be retrenched if they are unable to move to the company's other two printing plants in Shah Alam and Prai, Penang.

Of course most of them will be affected, especially those working on the floor of the plants.

As far as I know, if the message was true, this is the first time the company will retrench its workers.

I got some friends working at the NSTP Senai plant and I hope they will be alright.


Guess things are quite bad for the newspapers these days.

I hope, if this downsizing exercise at NSTP is true, it will be limited to what it is now being rumoured.

It's not going to be nice at all if it later on also involves the retrenchment of journalists.

Too many of that of late.

I got several journalist friends who recently lost their job that way.

Those are former online journalists though.

So, online journalism is not so secured either.

The media industry is simply not the best place to be in at the moment, I guess.

Hopefully things will improve soon.

63 comments:

  1. Annie, online or print journalism is funded by ad money.

    Total ad spending is a percentage of GDP. You can find this research online. When GDP isn't good, ad spending drops.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What to do, our PM says economy is good...My brother works there, this rumour is true, they are losing money.

    That's what happens when you don't print the truth!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They make money by not telling the truth. When all citizenry found they were lying, they began losing money. Lying is indeed bad for business.

      Delete
  3. Different era needs different skills.As an academician Ifeel our universities (especially public universities) are not responding to the changes quick enough.As a result,the universities keep on producing unemployable graduates.

    Prof Kangkung

    ReplyDelete
  4. Annie,

    //The media industry is simply not the best place to be in at the moment//

    Yes and no.

    Yes, the traditional media model of reporting news via print is slowly but surely dying out - paper is just too cumbersome.

    Don't get me wrong, printing news on paper is still ongoing in many places around the world.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_newspapers

    But even a cursory glance will tell anybody that many of the publications are localised publications and, at best, will only mark time until rolls of newsprint become so expensive that their printing plants will have to close.

    No, the media industry is a great place to be if one is able to move with the times and spot the needs of a digital society thirsty for news.

    But the key is to identify what news a digital society wants.

    It will simply be no good if NST digitally reported about rubber prices, groundbreaking discoveries in rubber production methods, and the latest efforts by the government in encouraging rubber tappers to use more technology.

    I can assure you that building a successful news portal is not an easy task but there are many good examples out there.

    It takes significant resources and effort.

    And yes, *ahem*, it also takes effective management at the publishing and editorial end as well :)

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
  5. Balut ikan je la NST. Selak-selak muka surat, penuh dengan dengan propa UMNO/BN. Muka Pok Jib dan Mak Ros. Cam takde berita lain. Ekonomi kan kukuh. Mantap. Tu cakap Pok Jib. Mungkin dia rujuk kat ekonomi keluarga dia kot. Sebab setahu saya, sejak bala GST, gaji saya tak naik tapi semua harga keperluan naik mendadak. Kelentong Mat Maslan cakap harga benda-benda akan turun. Memang dasar PENIPU Kerajaan Pok Jib sekarang.

    ReplyDelete
  6. nst relies almost entirely on advertising from govt bodies and glcs to survive. circulation is actually boosted artificially by mandatory subscriptions by the same bodies. if left to its own devices in the "real" economy, nst wld not be a feasible business entity. i have been reading nst daily for last 20 years but i think it is noticeable after abullah ahmad and kalimullah that it is going downhill and have ceased subscribing since last month. once a newspaper loses its journalistic credibility it will have a hard time regaining it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They have even tried to force govt departments to buy the NST. if you take that component away, the circulation may be down to 10,000. Seriously.

      Delete
  7. Next time, take your time driving on the north South highway. Or why not make a cool drive along some state road and look at advertising bill board. You can see bill board blank. Some have work aggressive maybe lower advertising fee so that unknown product like Malay cosmetic product or even high profile ustaz herbal product are put on billboard. (This is good)

    Advertising have gone into virtual and more hit are into that.

    It is an evolution of economics activity. Do current ruling government have any thought what's going on.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Annie,

    Mustapha Kamil's take:

    Former New Straits Times (NST) group editor Mustapha Kamil today claimed that the newspaper company is set to close its printing plants in two states, believed to be due to dwindling revenues from newspaper sales and advertising.

    Taking to Facebook, Mustapha said he had been informed that staff affected by the closures of the two plants – in Ajil, Terengganu, and Senai, Johor – would be given a choice to either move to the printing plants in Prai, Penang, or Shah Alam, Selangor, or resign.

    “I believe the closure of the two plants are steps by the company to avoid incurring further losses, brought about by dwindling newspaper sales and advertisement revenue.”

    The NST is almost dead, because people don't want to read gomen propaganda crap any more.

    It's circulation is about one tenth of what it used to be in its heyday.

    If Utusan wasn't propped up by Umngok, it would have folded a long time ago.

    Malaysians are getting smarter.

    Strangely, The Star, the former employer of the bloated pork football called Ustazah Blobby, is not affected, though I'm sure Blobs would claim it's because they're actually anti-gomen.

    Poor Blobs.

    She has fallen out with everyone in her "life". The Star, M'kini, her DAP boyfriend, the Malays, Muslims, PERKASA, everyone.

    "Lonely, I am soooo lonleeee"....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is Star giving money to MCA?

      Delete
    2. There's a viral photo going around of an Ah Soh in Taiwan with her umbrella in right hand upturned during hurricane but still chowing down on char siew pau in left hand.

      So reminded me of our dear ole Fat Soh........

      Delete
    3. "bloated pork football"...hee hee hee, yup, matches her perfectly!

      Delete
    4. 'There's a viral photo going around of an Ah Soh in Taiwan with her umbrella in right hand upturned during hurricane but still chowing down on char siew pau in left hand.'...LOLOLOL...if only she was cut n' paste her old blog posts with her toes...then PERFECT!!!

      Delete
    5. mdzfrs,

      For the reading and viewing pleasure of everybody here.

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/84814187/woman-destroys-pork-bun-as-typhoon-megi-rages-on

      That woman has got nothing on Fat Soh.

      Fat Soh would have had a char siu pau in each hand.

      Gladiator

      Delete
    6. Phalamak...dashyat lah that Chinese woman! But I noticed, she's much slimmer and more good looking compared to Miss H. AngKuh.

      Delete
  9. Extracted from; http://chedet.cc/?p=2268. The reason being of NST closing;
    10. New Straits Times, Utusan dan TV3 sudah tidak dibaca atau dilihat oleh penonton. Mereka benci dengan pembohongan laporan yang disiar.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Clap clap.
    Kasi dia mati.

    ReplyDelete
  11. People losing jobs..sigh.. So that's 'job creation' for high income nation. Please show your index and raise it upward and together we say 'Satuuuuu Malaysia'......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or raise middle and say: "Sayonaaaaarrrra Najib".

      Delete
    2. He will middle finger back to us and say "nahhhhh, I am stay here, my barua will protect me, cash is king!"

      Delete
  12. I am one of those dinosours that still read print newspapers but only on the wknds. Long ago I have switched from reading NST to the Star. NST quality has gone down but Star has improved plus need to know which supermarket has what sales on the wknds!

    Long story short, perhaps NST need new mgmt team before it terus bungkus...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NST OK for bungkus nasi lemak lah....

      Delete
  13. This and about Petronas retrenching surely are just roumours. How can this happen when the PM says our economy is on a high.We are getting high ratings for our GDP, GNP, GOP, GST ..even GPA of many ministers.These are all just vicuos rumours spread by people all out to bring down our beloved PM and the democratically elected Govt.The rakyat should not be taken in. Get your facts from credible bloggers like RB , BD, AA, LSS, RPK ..even HA ..and in here you can rely on Tn Hj MZ.
    wak

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "even GPA of many ministers.".....Mat Setan 3.85 kan? HA HA HAHAHA.....I love your sarcasm bro!

      Delete
    2. But you know, Mat Setan 3.85 is quite quiet now, sidelined fully. Time for Bugis worrier to do the same - to himself.

      Delete
    3. What's as bad as a stupid mappadulung?

      A: A smart setan!

      Delete
    4. A lot of them are quiet. The still barking ones are the 2 Sanahan losers, Lina LGBT, Salleh Kroak, Nazri Hummer and Tengku Palsu Roti Nan.

      Delete
    5. Whatever happened to all those smartass obscenely-overpaid Con-Sultans in Ahjib's office?

      Delete
  14. I'm no economist... but when I see more and more people selling nasi-lemak & kueh-mueh by the roadside... I can tell that the economy is in deep shit.

    So... all that crap about:-

    - the country's debt is below 55% of GDP
    - high ratings of GDP/GNP
    - Malaysia retained among the top 20 economies worldwide
    - first among emerging economies in East Asia on the ease of doing business.
    - ranked 18th in World Bank's Doing Business Report....

    can be rolled into tube-shape, then shove up Najib's ass. After-all, he's the Finance Minister... cum Prime Minister.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Bugis can only go to countries who are NOT investigating him. Swiss Davos WEF, ponteng, UN meeting in America, ponteng.

      "Warrior" konon.

      Delete
    2. Kesian lah Kak Semah......no Las Vegas & Rodeo Drive.......awwww

      Delete
  15. When a newspaper loses its credibility, it soon ceases to have readership. NST's bullshit went as far as it could.

    My family ceased reading NST almost 10 years ago. No loss. NST journalists has lost their job. Who the f### called them journalists in the first place. Hasten your demise...But, I promise to buy the last edition for investment purpose.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think, to be fair, a lot of industries are affected by the presence of internet and online apps. Almost all newspapers are selling less papers these days but at the same time, their readers go to their website for news. its a lifestyle change that most companies are adapting to.

    ReplyDelete
  17. A senior Malaysian journalist who quit his job at a leading newspaper said Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government has cracked down on freedom of speech as it tries to limit the fallout from a graft scandal surrounding a state investment fund.

    Mustapha Kamil, the former group editor of the English-language New Straits Times, which is controlled by Mr. Najib’s ruling party, took a rare public stance by saying that an increasingly “authoritarian” stand by the government toward media was the reason he quit the newspaper in April. He had worked there for more than a quarter-century.

    Mr. Mustapha initially remained quiet after stepping down, but last week posted the reasons for his action on his Facebook page—an unusual act in the closed world of Malaysian state media.

    A journalist’s responsibility is “first to the truth,” Mr. Mustapha wrote.

    RESPECT............

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. “Bagaimana kamu hendak bersemuka dengan wartawan, pengiklan dan seterusnya orang awam? Siapa yang bohong sekarang?” kata Mustapha Kamil yang meletakkan jawatan baru2 ini kerana kesal dengan NST yang cuba menutup laporan mengenai 1MDB.

      That's man of principles.

      Delete
    2. Mustapha Kamil deserves no respect for he was part of a system that churned out false propaganda and destroying the lives of many. So, the sudden conscience and principles mean nothing. Apologise to all for your sins and until then woe betide you.

      Delete
    3. Yalah bro........tapi at least he bertaubat. I still respect to him......

      Delete
    4. Annie,

      Anon 10:13 mentioned about false propaganda, destroying of lives, etc., and Mustapha Kamil was said to mention about 'bohong' and you too, the Lifeofaannie blog had quoted Mustapha Kamil and did not refute what he claimed.

      telling falsehood and lies is sinful. it's forbidden in islam. like one who serves liquor, he/she bears the sin even though he/she is just a worker. Helping to print and produce a newspaper that disseminates falsehood is, according to hadith, sinful too.

      if the work is sinful, the proceeds and salary derived therefrom are sinful too. Haram, thats the term in islam.

      I'm not sure about the four-five times a week publications of 4-ekor results, though.

      So Annie please ask your friends who are affected by the said retrenchment as well as those still working there to give their opinion whether they would agree to the accusations of falsehood and lies, and hence living off haram proceeds.

      it would be interesting to hear from them rather than from those yang tak kena to talk shit here.

      Delete
    5. Serving liquor is sinful. Can show where in Quran stated it is sin to serve liquor which Surah?.

      Delete
  18. more journalism retrenchments? . . . so what's left of the voice of conscience?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk48_BRqeNs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Voices of conscience = banned by govt with everything to hide

      Delete

  19. How to protect nos of remaining printed-news readers(?) Lil sis Ms Annie
    vs internet news readers/ subscribers
    and social media participants



    M Zin
    Alor Gajah DPH

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To 'protect' nos of remaining readers, MSM must 'print the truth'.... as the above Anon had said.

      Delete

    2. Ha ha all Malaysian media must spin, Sdr RD
      including Star Press and Malay(?) Mail for their olitical masters or to turn on the target audience kan?


      M Zin
      Alor Gajah DPH

      Delete
  20. Annie, your are indeed the darling of Ms fatso HA! Without you as a subject, he has nothing to write on her hateful blog. all she does now is taking shots at you. what have you done, that has her hating you so much. Maybe it's not hate. she just need a subject, or else her page will be blank

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annie, that Zin dude has been whacking your blog on MT......two-faced betul. Standard lah. Tell him to **** off lah!

      Delete
    2. Why Zinshit don't stay on H. AngKuh's blog? Hee hee se-biji lah these 2 loser...

      Delete
    3. Or tell him to park himself at RPK's blog, lah, where his two-headed snake hypocrisy will be in very good company!

      Delete

    4. Please read the comments there again, Sdr ANON 12:39
      and another one today which are personal observations
      and its OK for you to disagree

      NB. I don't read Sdr Helen's paranoic blog


      M Zin
      Alor Gajah DPH


      Delete
    5. anon 12.28/ 12.39 /13.42.. U guys are rite..!!! All he does mostly is whack sini sana..
      u know why he alwaz retaliates and never contributes anything constructive in thots..?
      The reason probably lies in the fact that, when your third attached KFC drumstick dies bfor u do, it makes u crazy and go haywire..
      let him be in his world of whacky whacky whack whack laaa..

      Delete
    6. 'third attached KFC drumstick' dah mampuih ke? minum kopi tongkat ali ler yop

      Delete

    7. Hmm whats your contribution to this thread(?) Sdr ANON 17:30
      besides your nauzubi 'Llah vulgar personal insults

      So-po: $ DS Najib is even beggining to look good with YAB Tun being what personally insulted as donkey-ride by that Superman(?) Hew


      M Zin
      Alor Gajah DPH

      Delete
    8. Go and fertilise other blogs with your deep love for "$ DS Najib" (you mean $$$$$ right?) lah Zin. As you are one of the 0.0001% Muslims who admire lying and corruption, while most Muslims frown on it. I suspect you're Chinese, you know.

      Delete
  21. No link to other blogs, Annie.
    My daily routine was... to go to other blogs from yours... to your blogging captain Dato Rocky, BigDog, Chedet...etc.

    Was it a new directive from MCMC, to switch-off the blog-rolls?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry. I think something wrong with blogspot.

      Delete
    2. Thank you Annie.

      I see there is a new blog on you list... Najib's.

      I went there and had a fast-read, but the NijabRazak.com had no 'Post a comment' section... just like the chicken Shuzheng.

      I find this amusing though:-

      "As we seek to increase our nation’s revenue and improve the people’s wellbeing, we must avoid being penny wise and pound foolish like one of my predecessors – in that we must also cut unnecessary spending."

      Wasting RM7.2 Billions on Consultant & Advisers, must have "improve the people’s wellbeing".
      So... 1MDB... improved the people's wellbeing... too?

      Delete
    3. "As we seek to increase our nation’s revenue and improve the people’s wellbeing, we must avoid being penny wise and pound foolish like one of my predecessors – in that we must also cut unnecessary spending."

      KIMAK...so stealing 4 billion of our money is "wise" huh? Selling national assets to China is "wise" huh? Diam lah you Bugis crook!

      Delete
    4. I see there is a new blog on you list... Najib's......well, OK at least u are balanced.

      Delete
  22. Ouch! Even The Sun is losing money. Guess its happening to everyone. Like you said Annie, journalism may not be the best place to be right now.

    http://www.theedgemarkets.com/my/article/berjaya-medias-net-loss-more-doubles-1q-revenue-weakens#

    ReplyDelete
  23. WOW....that the economy now days. Even Western Digital are shifting their operations to other country by end of next month. Our economy is shrinking....thats the facts.

    ReplyDelete
  24. " Both the NST and Utusan Meloya are facing the karma of their 'tak tahu niaga' business model. When it comes to domestic politics they have been printing untruths, propaganda and twisted versions of the news.

    The NST and Utusan Meloya shamelessly help to paper over the 1MDB scandal - the biggest financial scandal in the history of the world.

    Leave the politics aside, people do not want to spend RM1.20 or whatever is the price of the papers now and read stuff that is inaccurate. Who wants to read slanted opinions day in and day out? Say after they read the NST and then they have a conversation with their friends - they will realise that they are less informed than other people about something that may have appeared in the NST or the Utusan. So they feel shortchanged.

    So now people may use old NST and Utusan to pick up dog poo."

    Ha ha ha!!!

    ReplyDelete