Memo: Toronto Sun editor on lockdown, recent ‘negativity’ and layoffs update
The following memo was sent to staff on May 29, 2020 by Toronto Sun editor Adrienne Batra.
11 weeks. That’s how long we have been in this lockdown situation.
It seems like an eternity and the days still blend into one.
A number of you have been asking when we will be returning to the newsroom, the honest answer is to be determined. The province of Ontario is expected to announce something with respect to phase 2 in mid June. I know that Postmedia is working on a functional plan and what it would look like for us to actually return to the news room.
There will be more on that to come and you will be kept apprised.
As this is an extraordinarily stressful situation, putting a lot of strain on you personally, your families, work etc. It’s a lot to deal with. But you don’t have to manage it alone.
I would like to remind you of the services that are available through the employee assistance program. The email from the business update is copy and pasted below. The resources are there if you need them so please do.
On another note, recently there has been a lot of negativity thrown towards the Sun for our reporting on specific issues that are ongoing in the city of Toronto. Some of that criticism is merited as a mistake was made. But we course corrected, we apologized for it, and we move forward. It can be somewhat disheartening to see all the negativity but please never let it take away from the incredible work you do day in and day out for our readers.
In addition, we have also had to deal with the reality of layoffs. I’m very happy to let you know that we are now in a position to rescind those layoff notices. This was not done without an extraordinary amount of effort and negotiating and I want to thank all of those involved. It still means, however, 4 people from our news room will be leaving as they have voluntarily come forward to take buyouts. But we will always do what the Sun does – survive.
Please feel free to reach out if you have questions, comments, concerns.In the meantime, stay safe.
