So … arseclown of a day.

Obviously, I’m restricted in what I can say. Not because I’ve been told to shut up. But because it’s only common sense that I protect my own interests and the interests of the people I supervise.

I don’t think it’s any great secret that today News Limited announced they would be cutting 70 jobs across its digital operations nationwide.

I’m the online editor of goldcoast.com.au, the news site of the Gold Coast Bulletin.

Our team has five members, although only four are active right now as we have one on maternity leave.

Today at 12pm we were told that our team will be reduced to a 2-person team.

I’ll be all right. I have 24 years’ behind me and if I choose redundancy, or have it forced upon me, I’ll walk away with enough money to give me time to find something else.

The two people I directly supervise are not as lucky and I feel awful for them. They have to reapply for their jobs and with so many jobs cut across the country, who knows what that means for them in terms of the competition.

I would hope that they have first dibs on retaining their places.

As for me … *shrugs* … I guess we’ll see. Maybe they’ll redeploy me in another city. But realistically with so many people now competing for so few jobs, I have to face the fact that my time with News Ltd, and perhaps my time as a journalist is coming to an end.

I’m not entirely fazed by that. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. But today was harsh reality.

I can’t comment right now on what I think of the strategy to cut online jobs in an age where clearly online is the future of news. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to comment on it in a public forum like this.

If you know me, it’s likely you know what I think, anyway.

Meanwhile, a lot of people out there are taking great delight in News Limited journalists losing their jobs. I would hope people will remember that the journalists are not the corporation. That we’re human beings who’ve been trying to do our jobs the best we can.

Less journalists is not a good thing for our country. That’s all I can say right now.

If you’re inclined to wish me and my colleagues well, thank you. If you’re inclined to think we had it coming … well, fuck you.