Print edition of famous Romanian sports publication shut down overnight
Gazeta Sporturilor Newspaper Shut Down Abruptly: Major Changes Announced.
The sports newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor was abruptly closed without prior notice to the public or the editorial staff, according to GSP journalists. They found out that the last issue was printed today, November 1, 2023. Gazeta Sporturilor would have celebrated a century of uninterrupted existence in 2024. In an official announcement sent via email to GSP employees on Wednesday, Ringier stated that it is cutting nine positions, including that of the coordinating editor, Cătălin Tolontan.
The decision to close the print edition and let go of Tolontan comes three months after Mihnea Vasiliu, the CEO of Ringier Romania, left the company and one month after the removal of the editor-in-chief, Cătălin Țepelin, following accusations by 95 journalists from the commercial sector’s interference in GSP’s editorial work in favor of gambling companies.
The company sent an email to its employees stating that “due to the drastic decline in sales of the print edition of Gazeta Sporturilor, which has decreased by 27% from 2018 to the present, as well as the rising costs of paper and printing services, Ringier Sports Media Group (RSMG), the owner of Gazeta Sporturilor and GSP.ro, has decided to undertake a strategic restructuring. The consequence of these changes is the closure of the print division, which is currently experiencing major losses,” according to GSP journalists.
In the email, it is conveyed to employees that the GSP and Libertatea newsrooms will be separated, with Gazeta moving “at the beginning of November.” About Cătălin Tolontan, Ringier claims he will “focus exclusively on Libertatea.”
“Gazeta Sporturilor is betting on digital: the GSP brand is dropping the print edition and is signing an agreement with SNTV, the most significant video content provider in sports, for a new, exclusively digital era – GSP.ro.
Due to the drastic decline in sales recorded by the print edition of Gazeta Sporturilor, which has dropped by 27% from 2018 to the present, as well as the rising costs of paper and printing services, Ringier Sports Media Group (RSMG), the owner of Gazeta Sporturilor and GSP.ro, has decided to undertake a strategic restructuring. The consequence of these changes is the closure of the print division, which is currently experiencing major losses. Concurrently with the closure of the print division of Gazeta Sporturilor, RSMG reaffirms its clear decision to focus 100% on the digital platform GSP.ro,” says Ringier.
The closure of the print edition of Gazeta Sporturilor is accompanied by the discontinuation of nine positions, which are directly related to the production and distribution of the print edition of Gazeta Sporturilor.
Cătălin Tolontan, who is currently the editorial coordinator for both Gazeta Sporturilor and Libertatea, will no longer be responsible for Gazeta Sporturilor and will focus exclusively on Libertatea, starting on November 1. The new organization of GSP.ro will be substantially more flexible and 100% in line with RSMG’s new digital approach.
Furthermore, GSP.ro’s editorial team will move to a new office space at the beginning of November, marking the beginning of a new era. This not only signifies the opening of a new chapter but also highlights the ambitious goal of positioning GSP.ro as an innovative digital sports media brand.”
Cătălin Țepelin, the editor-in-chief of GSP, was removed by the Swiss ownership on October 3, while the GSP and Libertatea newsrooms accused top managers of Ringier Sports Media Group of repeated editorial interference and their desire to change the work procedures in favor of advertising clients, specifically gambling companies.
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