The Journal learnt that staff members of the Guardian were called into a meeting yesterday and were addressed by one of the Guardian’s owners, Emmanuel Alexiou.
The employees were also surprised to see Robert Carron, the son of the Tribune’s owner, at the meeting as well, according to some staff members.
The Tribune reportedly now owns the majority shares of The Nassau Guardian, but senior staff at the Guardian said they were unsure which company actually holds the majority of the shares.
Apparently, a statement was prepared for the media regarding the Guardian’s current status, but the Journal was told that the Guardian was not authorized to distribute the statement up to press time.
An official at the Guardian said the merger was described as a "joint operating agreement" involving the Tribune, the Guardian and the Freeport News and the staff of the Tribune and the Guardian newspapers will be relocated to one building.
The Journal was also told that Tribune owner Eileen Carron was named Chairman of the company.
According to sources, while Mr. Carron was attending the Guardian’s meeting, one of the Guardian’s principals, Anthony Ferguson, was attending a meeting at the Tribune.
The Guardian staff members were told that the two papers will still be in competition with each other although they will have the same owners, one Guardian employee said.
But another source said this system will only be operational for six months, after which time the two papers will become one.
Some staff members told The Journal that they not only fear for their jobs, but they believe this merger has a lot to do with politics. But some staff members of the Guardian told the Journal Mr. Carron assured them that they need not fear losing their jobs.
The source who was one of the people attending the meeting yesterday said Mr. Carron said he looked forward to a good working relationship with the Guardian.
He reportedly also told them to expect a few changes with regard to work ethics and the different tasks they would be assigned.
The Journal tried unsuccessfully to contact several officials involved in the transaction, including Mr. Alexiou, Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Carron.
Charles Carter, who resigned days ago as the Guardian’s CEO and publisher, also could not be contacted.
Reportedly, some of the officials involved traveled to Freeport to meet with employees of the Freeport News.
When the Journal contacted the Freeport News, a source said the staff was slated for a meeting with owners at 3:15pm yesterday, which was later postponed to 4:30pm because the people heading the meeting had not yet arrived on the island.
The staff members of the Freeport News were reportedly eagerly awaiting their fate after hearing what had transpired at the Nassau Guardian.
The Bahama Journal’s publisher and CEO Wendall Jones said this move by his competitors could only make his publication stronger.
"They operated for some years as a small little cartel. They were the Goliath of the news papering business and The Bahama Journal was the little David. The Bahama Journal has risen to the occasion and the little David has a tremendous readership around the Bahamas today, and more than that, the little David has its independence and credibility," Mr. Jones said.
"It has its independence and credibility because no matter where you stand in politics or elsewhere in society, you can expect The Bahama Journal to be fair, to be objective and to be dispassionate. We have no agenda…and the only agenda is to satisfy our readership through what is truthful and honest. With those kinds of values and tenets in the news papering business, the circulation and profitability of The Journal can only head north."
Mr. Jones said the information he received was that both newspapers would still be operating as two separate publications, but he believes the public would still see them as one entity.
He said he believes this move was an indictment on ownership and management of the Nassau Guardian and congratulated The Tribune for "causing" the Guardian to implode.
Mr. Jones said he does not see this merger as a threat to The Bahama Journal.
"A newspaper is only as strong as its level of acceptance in the community. If the Guardian and Tribune are operating under one leadership – one ownership – then it is one in the same. The Journal can only improve as a result of this merger because advertisers and readers, I believe, would look to The Bahama Journal as the alternative," Mr. Jones said.
"The merger improves the position of The Bahama Journal. This is a blessing for the Journal. So I am applauding it and at the same time congratulating The Tribune for this coup in the news papering business of The Bahamas. It does not speak well of the leadership of the Nassau Guardian who have contributed to the ‘dumbing’ down of the Nassau Guardian," he said.
Mr. Jones believes that if the Guardian was properly run, this position would not have arisen.
When asked if he saw himself becoming a part of this new "joint operating agreement", Mr. Jones said, "Never."
The Bahama Journal will always remain independent, he said, adding that The Journal has expanded to become a major part of the Jones Communications Ltd. family, which includes radio Love 97 and JCN TV.
"The Guardian has found itself in the position where it has to enter into this arrangement with the Tribune," Mr. Jones said. "It has arisen, in my view, due to the inability of those people who are working in the Guardian and running the Guardian to be the kind of competitor that they ought to have been in the news papering business."
He said the Bahamian people have been very generous and supportive of The Bahama Journal.
"We will always be an independent entity and never ever as long as I am here join in any arrangement with any other media company in this country. It is unnecessary and in my opinion, it would be very unwise for Jones Communications," Mr. Jones said.
"The people who run our newsroom are some of the best and the brightest in the business."
Mr. Jones said the quality of the stories and editorials in The Bahama Journal has surpassed those of its competitors.
- Austin DWI - New York DWI