Nine Publishing is “considering options” after the company was faced with backlash following the announcement that it would cease printing The Age and Financial Review in Tasmania.
Local newsagents were disappointed at the decision to stop printing as it would hit their businesses.
On Wednesday, ABC reported that Nine Publishing had noted the rising costs of paper was behind the decision to cease operations at the Australian Community Media (ACM) printing press in Rocherlea.
Nine’s managing director of publishing James Chessel said the decision to stop “wasn’t taken lightly”.
“We will continue to focus on our many Tasmanian digital subscribers who are able to access the increasingly popular digital version of ‘today’s paper’,” he told the public broadcaster.
Australian Lottery and Newsagent Association (ALNA) chief executive officer Ben Kearney later told ABC that the decision was under review after a discussion with Nine.
Kearney said: “They’re going to look at that decision and consider some of the other options that might be available, so certainly, from our point of view, that’s really good news, that’s what we’ve asked for.”
While a review is underway, the original decision to cease printing could still remain.
The impact of this would be a devastating blow to Tasmanian newsagents such as Teresa Sturzaker, who told ABC Radio Hobart: “The direct hit is a $25,000 profit per annum, so it’s about $2,000 a month that we’ll lose straight off the top starting,”
Meanwhile, Launceston-based newsagent Garry Matthews also told ABC that losing the newspapers would mean they would not be able to attract general walk-ins to their stores.
“If they no longer can come in and buy a paper and a cordial … it just means there’s one good reason why they don’t come.”
“It’s pretty sad that a big company like Nine should really care very little about Tasmania,” Matthews added.