In an unprecedented move, 30 years of former Arts Editors at Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have written an open letter to Fairfax boss Greg Hywood protesting the company’s plans to cut 125 editorial jobs — approximately a quarter of its newsroom — as part of a $30 million restructure. “We… are appalled at plans to cut coverage of the arts and axe the jobs of its specialist journalists,” reads the strongly-worded letter, headed “Fairfax: Don’t gut our culture”.

“Arts coverage is not the cherry on the cake to be dispensed with when the economic going gets tough but essential to a vibrant, healthy, civilized society,” the letter goes on. “We need arts coverage that provides insight into the cultural forces that shape the social and political landscape… Governments recognise that arts and cultural events are big drivers of the economy – surely Fairfax can also see the economic value of robust and well-informed reporting of those events. Arts coverage – a review or interview – is often the only enduring record of a performing arts event. Without this, creative voices are silenced and our culture is diminished.”