The Modesto Bee offered voluntary buyouts Monday to more than 100 employees, citing fundamental changes in the news industry.
"We are managing through a challenging business environment and changing business model," President and Publisher Margaret Randazzo said.
About one-quarter of The Bee's 455 employees were offered buyout packages. Not all who apply will be approved, Randazzo said, and only a limited number of buyouts will be accepted from each division.
Randazzo said the buyouts were offered to employees in every division, except for ad sales representatives and reporters. The buyout packages include up to 26 weeks of pay depending on tenure, and medical coverage.
The Bee, owned by Sacramento-based McClatchy Co., does not have a set number of buyouts it will accept, she said. But, she added, "We anticipate that the percentage of our work force approved will be in the low single digits."
Mark Vasché, editor and senior vice president of The Bee, said the buyouts will affect a "very small" number of the newsroom's 90-plus employees and thus should have a minimal impact on readers.
Last week Miami Herald Executive Editor Anders Gyllenhaal said McClatchy planned to cut two percent of its workforce nationwide.
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