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SYDNEY - Size does matter, according to Fairfax Media, which has decided to reduce the width of its flagship newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
The size of the two broadsheet newspapers will be reduced next year as part of a significant restructure by publisher Fairfax
Media, Fairfax chief executive David Kirk said in a statement.
Fairfax also announced job cuts as part of the restructure.
Similar changes were not planned for Fairfax papers in New Zealand, Fairfax Media chief operating officer for New Zealand Peter O'Hara said.
" Fairfax in New Zealand does not have any plans at this stage to change page widths," Mr O'Hara said.
"However publication formats and great newspaper design are of strong interest to us and we will continue to consider options which meet reader wishes."
In Australia the company announced details of the changes to staff this morning.
Under the changes, the current A3 height of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald will remain the same but the width of the pages will be cut.
"Broadsheets have been our currency for 175 years, and we are sticking with them," Mr Kirk said in the statement.
"Readers turn to our broadsheets for quality, integrity, authority, incisiveness and the very best journalism in Australia.
"But size does matter, and it is time to give our readers what they keep telling us they want: a slightly narrower broadsheet so that they can spend more time with our newspapers."
Mr Kirk said the company would implement "a narrower broadsheet format for the SMH and The Age in 2008" but did not specify a changeover date.
The company has not yet finalised what the new size will be.
"We will continue to consult with readers, editors, advertisers, agencies and other parties before we announce more specifics towards the end of this year," Mr Kirk said.
Fairfax's move follows the Brisbane Courier-Mail's switch from broadsheet to tabloid last year, and will leave The Australian and The Canberra Times as the only major metropolitan newspapers with a traditional, full size broadsheet format.
Fairfax also announced job cuts as part of the restructure, which Mr Kirk said would fully integrate the print and online arms of the business.
It will offer voluntary redundancies to between 30 and 35 production staff as part of a plan to integrate the Sydney Morning Herald and Fairfax's Sydney Sunday newspaper The Sun-Herald.
Sub-editing jobs are expected to be cut but reporters and photographers would not be part of the proposed redundancy program, the company said.
Mr Kirk said future editorial decisions would be made with print, internet and mobile options in mind, and video would form a bigger part of the company's online content.
"The way forward is to aggressively position Fairfax Media for a future defined by our becoming a fully integrated digital media publishing business," he said.
"This means that our working processes - editorial, advertising, and production - need to change and become integrated across media."
- AAP
