Employee describes local McClatchy newspaper... newspaper is "narrower"... vacant positions not being filled... paper under a hiring freeze

McClatchy's Idaho Statesman newspaper is in Boise, Idaho. The paper has a web developer, Patrick Lee. He's been at his position for a year. On his web site he notes the changes he has seen in the last year.

The Statesman (like many McClatchy papers) has undertaken some cost cutting measure in the past several months. The paper is narrower now and has fewer pages to save on newsprint. During the current hiring freeze, several people have left the newsroom and not been replaced. Recently we’ve seen a couple involuntary layoffs. While I’m confident that we will emerge from this in a strong position, I’m not sure what the company will look like or how many people will be left.

Vacant positions unfilled, fewer pages in the newspaper, empty cubicles. This isn't a surprise to anybody following developments at McClatchy and the newspaper media.