New York Times Offers Buyouts To 30 Newsroom Employees, Says Layoffs May Come

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

The New York Times said on Monday that it will offer buyouts to some of its newsroom staff, and may lay journalists off if not enough people accept the severance package.

Writing to staff, publisher Arthur Sulzberger said that he had asked top editors within the paper to "identify significant cost savings." He wrote that "the advertising climate remains volatile and we don't see this changing in the near future."

The paper reported that the company is offering 30 buyouts to non-union newsroom managers.

"There is no getting around the hard news that the size of the newsroom staff must be reduced,” editor Jill Abramson wrote in her own memo, adding, "I hope the needed savings can be achieved through voluntary buyouts but if not, I will be forced to go to layoffs among the excluded staff."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/03/new-york-times-buyouts-layoffs_n_2231172.html

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Not good. They are one step closer to being taken over by Murdoch.

[Demeter]

1. A Newspaper Wtihout Journalists Is Trash

if that's what the Grey Lady wants....

[dipsydoodle]

2. "one step closer"

I would doubt that with an advertising revenue issue. There is only so much that any proprietor will cross subsidize.

[cprise]

4. There is only so much real news that big business will tolerate

and that amount is getting lower all the time.

[Dan]

3. I would hate if the NYT was acquired by Murdoch

...I would have to discontinue my online subscription, but at the same time, if such an event occurred, I would hope that Krugman would offer continue to offer his articles and I would be willing to subscribe for pay to his services...

[yorgatron]

5. don't worry, they're only laying off stenographers.

there hasn't been a real reporter anywhere near that place in years.

[NICO9000]

6. On the bright side...

...they can now pay bloggers a penny a word to take their place!

If Murdoch buys Tribune, I'm going to have to cancel my L.A. Times sub. I want to keep supporting newspapers as much as possible, but that would be a leap too far.

[Joe Bacon]

7. Outside of Krugman, The New York Times is useless

Krugman is the only one who tells the truth at the New York Times. Without him, it's just garbage. As for the Lies Angeles Times. I haven't bought a copy since they were bought by the Chicago Fibune.