When does cost cutting become a cost itself

A couple of years ago Close Up on New Zealand's TV1 was axed in favour of Seven Sharp which is a show based on Australia's The Project which features on Channel Ten every week night.  It has been widely criticised with people saying they'd switch from TV1 to Campbell Live on TV3.  Campbell Live has been on TV3 and hosted by veteran journalist John Campbell since April 2005.  

Recently TV3 axed Nightline in favour of The Paul Henry Show which was short lived for a few months.  Henry now hosts the Paul Henry Show which is simulcast on RadioLive, also owned by Mediaworks.  Well today it was announced that the Campbell Live show would likely be axed in favour of Jono and Ben. For those who don't know they are comedians and do not have journalism qualifications.  

It actually seems as if that's a requirement to work in the NZ media and that if you do they don't want you.  Singer Anika Moa has been hired by the New Zealand Herald to interview musicians.

The Australian media is not much better.  Since Fairfax's purchase of Macquarie Radio Network the 2UE newsroom has closed.  It closed at 6pm tonight.  For those wanting alternative views this is such a bad thing. You can't get wide ranging arguments and views with only one newsroom.  It means all the sources have the same angle, and that amounts to propaganda.

People should be very very worried that profits are coming before information integrity.  Without news we cannot act as informed citizens of Australia, New Zealand, or the world and that is really scary.   

The more you cut something it will fail until the business eventually closes.  Without journalists there are no news organisations.