Here's where we stand: McClatchy has said it will make $100 million to $110 million in cuts, but hasn't released many details beyond freezing employee pensions and temporarily halting matching contributions to workers’ 401(k) savings plans. Those moves will begin March 31.
Where will the $100-plus million in cuts come from? From comments, management's position is that everything is on the table, including layoffs and unpaid furloughs. It's clear management has been making plans for cuts and I expect announcements to begin rolling out soon. Based on the rumors I've been hearing, I wouldn't be surprised if most papers announce unpaid furloughs.
I have a list of cuts that have already been announced publicly or mentioned in comments on this blog. I will update as more news comes in. Here is the list:
Myrtle Beach Sun News: 58 positions cut due to outsourcing printing
Macon Telegraph: 58 positions cut due to outsourcing printing to Columbus
Raleigh: just told they need to eliminate 20 - 30 newsroom positions
If you have additional information, leave it in comments.
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10 comments:
lexington publisher Tim Kelly announced that cuts at the Herald Leader will include jobs cuts. No surprise there. Lexington has already lost a ton of long term employees and continue to have the same top management in place that continue to run the company into the ground. circ vp fonticella, ad dir snow both have done nothing to help and have only hurt lexington with cocky attitudes and egos especially the circ vp fonticella.
I think all papers will eliminate jobs.
If this site wants to really do some good then they should find and post a way to contact the McClatchy family so that the remaining employees can let them know how they feel. I know they probably don’t care anyway but at least we could voice our opinions. You never know, if enough people contact them it could put some heat on those at the top that are ruining what is left of the company.
Jeez! Well, on the bright side, at least they waited till the holidays were over...
I can't see how our paper can possibly put off cutting some of the dinosaur managers at this point. The newsroom already is ridiculously top-heavy and most of the mgrs have been there 20+ years, so they've likely topped out in salary. Hello?!!! It's time.
As a current Lexington employee and having worked under 5 different circ VP’s at 2 different papers I take objection to the first comment. Yes, things are bad but not nearly as bad as other papers of similar size that I have visited and am in contact with. At least Nelson Fonticiella is trying to DO something as opposed to the circ Directors/VP’s that I’ve known that did nothing. And a lot of it has worked. If we survive into the future it will be because of initiatives that he has set in place. Personally, I was glad to see some of the long term employees go. Just because someone worked here for 20 years didn’t mean they were DOING anything to help the newspaper stay relevant in today’s world!
10:03 Are you kidding? They don't care.
"Are you kidding? They don't care."
It wouldn't do any good if they did care. This is coming from the top.
circgrrl,
I think it is good you appreciate the positive management people that deserve it. It was my experience that even the best managers will fold to the MNI directives, let’s face it, they have to. The thing that irked me about the form letter, was they expected everyone to just keep working on at an even higher level, when they plan to let many of these good employees go. They ask, Take one for the Gipper, while no one is taking one for the Gippee.
And there's still some ridiculous business decisions being made. Today's FW S_T carried a story that the TV reporter started on a trip to LA and finished by phone. In this era, shouldn't the whole story have been done by phone or, better yet, let's just pick up the wire copy. Meanwhile local stories have no reporters to cover them. If survival is the name of the game, then maybe we quit chasing some TV teenager in California and worry about covering local news. We can read about TV in the NYT or People mag.
Circgirl-
As one of the long time dedicated and hard working employees you seem to think desrved the old heave-ho, I can only hope you see the light before you find yourself in a similar position. This company doesn't care about the people who are actually doing the work, dear!
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