Al Jazeera Media Network yesterday announced a fresh round of job cuts of around 500 positions worldwide with most of them at the network’s Doha, Qatar, headquarters. In total, the job cuts will reduce Al-Jazeera’s staff number from around 5,200 to 4,000.
Announcing the job losses in a statement, acting Director General, Mostefa Souag, said the cuts would allow the network “to evolve our business operation in order to maintain a leading position and continue our recognised commitment to high quality, independent and hard-hitting journalism around the world.
“While our decision is consistent with those being made across the media industry worldwide, it was difficult to make nonetheless.” He added: “However, we are confident it is the right step to ensure the network’s long-term competitiveness and reach.”
According to one Al- Jazeera official, up to 60 per cent of the job cuts – 300 positions – could come at the broadcaster’s Doha base. Recently, the Network announced the future expansion of its international digital service across multiple platforms into the United States.
The official told AFP that job losses could begin to be enforced within the next week and most would be in non-editorial positions. Staff members were apparently told yesterday that Al-Jazeera English would be spared. One employee at the network, who did not wish to be named, told AFP that the job losses were expected, but that had created “a lot of paranoia” among staff as they waited to be officially told.
“We have been waiting for this announcement. Since the middle of January, we were told next week, then next week, there was a lot of speculation,” the source said. Al-Jazeera media network broadcasts in several languages. On top of existing losses of 700 jobs following an announcement earlier this year that Al-Jazeera America is to close, it means the broadcaster is set to shed more than 20 per cent of its global workforce.
It has around 80 bureaus worldwide and Al- Jazeera English reaches 270 million homes every day, says the broadcaster. Launched in 1996, Al Jazeera was the first independent news channel in the Arab world dedicated to providing comprehensive news and live debate.
