Sounds familiar

The statements released Monday by the publishers at the McClatchy newspapers sound amazingly similar. In fact they sound like they were written by the same person. Read the following excerpts and see what you think.

This is from the MiamiHerald.com report on Miami Herald publisher David Landsberg's statement:

''This is a painful but necessary step,'' Landsberg wrote in an e-mail to employees.

Here is Kentucky.com on the statement from Herald-Leader publisher Timothy M. Kelly:

In a message to the Herald-Leader staff, Publisher Timothy M. Kelly said: “This is a painful but necessary step.

Here is BlueRidgeNow.com on the statement from News & Observer publisher Orage Quarles III:

"This is a painful but necessary step," News & Observer publisher Orage Quarles III said in e-mail to employees, the paper reported.

Posted at Poynter Romenesko, here is an excerpt from an email Ann Calkins, publisher of the Charlotte Observer, sent to staff:

This is a painful but necessary step.

I'd include some more samples but it would be too painful.

Hat tip to Meck Deck, who first noticed similarities in the statements of the publishers of the News & Observer and Miami Herald.