One newspaper scrubs outsourcing, another eyes it

While the Miami Herald has decided to cancel outsourcing some production to a firm in India, the San Diego Union-Tribune told 18 advertising artists their positions would be outsourced later this year.

As Grumpy Editor noted in a Jan. 9 posting, the Miami Herald planned to outsource some copy editing and layout design to Mindworks, based in New Delhi.  The Indian company was to tackle those activities in producing the “Broward Neighbors” weekly section containing community news and special advertising.

The Miami Herald, is part of the Sacramento-based McClatchy Co. chain of  31 dailies in 29 U.S. markets.

Miami Herald Executive Editor Anders Gyllenhaal said outsourcing "would not be an appropriate use of this service so it won't be tested, nor will other newsroom and editing design like it.  The more we looked at the prospects of editing and layout from outside the newsroom, the more it was clear these skills involving news judgment and experience are not likely to work well from afar."

However, Gyllenhaal added, "Other outsourcing projects, such as the production of some advertising sections and monitoring of website comments, will continue.”

Meanwhile, the San Diego Union-Tribune, faced with decreasing circulation and dramatic revenue losses, laid off 27 employees Tuesday, including at least five in its newsroom, once estimated to have about 360 staffers on the payroll.  The newspaper has lost at least 51 news people from layoffs and two rounds of buyouts since late 2006.

There was no indication of the location where the work of 18 departing advertising artists will be outsourced.

Owner privately-held Copley Press 15 years ago merged the Union and Tribune.