In this week’s much discussed Los Angeles magazine investigative report about the Los Angeles Times, several mentions are made of a devastating round of 2015 buyouts. One year later, the industry song remains the same.
From a report by Crain’s Detroit Business enterprise editor Bill Shea:
On Friday, a Detroit News staff memo from editor and publisher Jon Wolman and managing editor Gary Miles disclosed that [sports editor Phil] Laciura and three others had volunteered to leave the newspaper. The others are assistant managing editor Michael Brown, assistant photo editor Charlotte Massey and sports copy editor Craig Mantey. …
The rival Free Press continues to cut staff, as well.
Crain’s has been told that in addition to [high school sports reporter Mike] McCabe, the Free Press is losing reporters Ellen Creager, Mark Stryker, Mike Brudenell and Greg Gardner; photographers Jessica Trevino and Regina Boone; and a mix of copy editors, digital and other newsroom staff that includes Bill Collison, Sonya Vann, Cindy Heflin, Tim Good, Eric Millikin, David Darby, Jamie Smith and Amy Huschka.
Both papers circulated buyout offers in November, in an effort to meet 2017 budget-reduction goals. Read the rest of Shea’s grim piece here.
By the way, Shea’s Twitter account header-picture happens to also be a sadly accurate representation of the current state of daily newspaper newsrooms. Check that photo out here.
H/T: Richard Prince Journal-isms