Hard times in the publishing business are reflected in announcements in the past week of major layoffs while the 100-year old Christian Science Monitor will be scrubbing its print daily for a weekly version in April plus emphasizing its reporting online, notes Grumpy Editor.
Deep staff cuts are in the works at the Orange County Register, Gannett Co.’s local newspapers, Newark’s Star-Ledger and Time Warner’s Time Inc. magazine unit. The Los Angeles Times (as reported here on Tuesday) is laying off 75 additional newsroom staffers.
Publications are facing tough industry conditions in a weak economy as advertising revenue and circulation figures decline.
About 110 employees, including about 30 in the newsroom at the privately-owned Orange County Register, are being notified this is their last week with the daily that has seen its Sept. 30 circulation of 236,270 decline 15 percent from the year-earlier 298,410. It marks the fourth round of layoffs this year.
Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper company, plans to lay off another 10 percent of its work force by early December at its local newspapers around the country.
The Star-Ledger, which earlier faced a possible shutdown threat, announced last Friday that roughly 40 percent of its newsroom staffers will exit by year-end after taking buyouts.
While not finalized, talk at Time Inc., which publishes People, Time and other magazines, focuses on cutting about 600 staffers in editorial and business departments.
The Christian Science Monitor, however, expects few if any job cuts or other reductions with its downsizing. A weekly 44-page publication, published on Sundays starting in April, will replace the Monday through Friday daily.
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