Editorial staff at Private Media, which publishes Crikey, SmartCompany, StartupSmart and The Mandarin, support the industrial action taken by our Fairfax media colleagues in reaction to the company’s plans to cut 125 staff from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review newsrooms.

Fairfax’s journalism is essential for our democracy and strengthens Australia’s media landscape. We feel that the planned moves by Fairfax management will harm our media and our country.

We call on Fairfax management to consider staff proposals to find savings in other ways, and to negotiate in good faith without threats.

We stand with our Fairfax colleagues and call on our readers and contributors to do all they can to support those brave journalists who are risking their jobs to stand up for what is right.