Fairfax has acted on speculation that the end is nigh for its weekday newspapers, with a leaked email revealing that the media group’s print focus will now be on its weekend titles.
According to The Australian’s Media Diary section, the email from a Fairfax executive paints a glass-half-empty picture of the newspaper market, claiming that the Monday to Friday paper will become “obsolete” as readers turn to digital alternatives.
“As a result, companies like Fairfax Media are shaping up for a future where newspapers are no longer printed seven days a week,” the email said.
The executive told clients that the weekend papers “will become our focus and they will be skewed towards lifestyle content and have multiple sections such as travel, food, entertainment etc”.
Among Fairfax’s print titles facing weekday extinction are The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.
The revelation comes after Fairfax boss Greg Hywood told investors in May that the company would change the publishing model for its metropolitan titles in future years, with fewer print editions and a 24/7 digital publishing focus, according to the media group.
Meanwhile, former Tourism Australia boss Andrew McEvoy is tipped to be Hywood’s successor, according to The Australian.