New York Times Confirms Non-Newsroom Layoffs (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

JimRomenesko.com ^ | May 4, 2012 | Jim Romenesko

[abb]

I received multiple tips late Thursday about layoffs at the New York Times, including this report:

More than 50 people were laid off on the corporate side. The layoffs include George Freeman, one of their well-known in-house lawyers. The worry is this is just the begginning of cuts — and that the company is putting pressure on the unions. Several of the people who were laid off were minorities, including African Americans and Hispanics.

Another tipster says of Freeman: He was “one of the two go-to guys on news-department legal matters, from story vetting to fighting First Amendment cases. The entire legal floor is in shock. Reportedly, nobody had advance inkling. (Don’t know if George did or not).”

I have emailed Freeman — he was Times Co. assistant general counsel — for comment. (UPDATE: He says he’s “saddened and shocked” by the Times’ decision to lay him off.)

I asked the Times about the layoffs and got this confirmation from corporate communications senior vice president Robert Christie:

Yes, there were non-newsroom layoffs announced Wednesday in corporate and business-side positions and this was to adjust to the changing business environment and maintain our financial health.

In a follow-up email, I asked about the number and the Freeman report. “I won’t confirm anyone by name but the 50 positions, not employees number is correct,” said Christie.

[abb]

For some reason, not reported in the MSM.

[abb]

ping

[relictele]

The propagandists will be the last to go. Interesting...

[SandRat]

I'm saddened,...NOT.

[libstripper]

Don’t ever discount the possibility of some kind of internal political skullduggery in Freeman’s layoff. Absent that, however, cutting such a prominent and apparently valuable attorney means the Slimes is in really bad financial trouble and is down to cutting the muscle and bone as well as the fat.

[TribalPrincess2U]

tsk tsk

[abb]

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/secret-meeting-has-washington-post-buzzing-140036
Secret Meeting Has ‘Washington Post’ Buzzing
As paper struggles, big-name journalists meet with the paper’s top business exec

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304746604577382101741961484.html
Oprah Struggles to Build Her Network

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/174083/wapo-revenues-fall.html
WaPo Revenues Fall

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/2012/05/average-print-circ-fell-8-at-top.html#comments
Average print circ fell 7% at top dailies

http://www.niemanlab.org/2012/05/who-needs-newspapers-its-fewer-people-than-publishers-seem-to-believe/
Nikki Usher: “Who Needs Newspapers?” It’s fewer people than publishers seem to believe

http://newspaperdeathwatch.com/newspapers-are-fastest-shrinking-u-s-industry/
Newspapers Are Fastest-Shrinking U.S. Industry

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/washington-post-revenue-losses-q1_n_1477684.html
Washington Post Revenue Falls Again In Q1; Newspaper Division Suffers Steep Losses

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Hereandthere/The-word-OWN-has-lost-330-million.asp
The word:
OWN has lost $330 million

[Doc Savage]

OH NO JIM! Not the minorities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh the humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL! Good riddance to every one of them and may they rot in hell!

[Dilbert San Diego]

what’s that German sounding word, Schaudenfraude? (sp??)

It’s hard to feel sorry for hard times in the news business, when what’s happening in part is their losing a monopoly on how news is reported, and what news is reported.

And, they are finding that when there are alternatives, that critical masses of people will NOT turn to the MSM for news and information. Instead they will turn to alternative media.

Remember when President Johnson allegedly said, “If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America”, after Cronkite came out against the Vietnam War. I wonder if that would happen today, if any prominent newsman could frame the debate and set the agenda, and selectively report news today, as the MSM did in the days of Vietnam.

[Navy Patriot]

layoffs at the New York Times

So sad. ;)

[BookmanTheJanitor]

you would think the one of world's greatest economic minds (snicker) could have prevented this (again...snicker)

[Sooth2222]

"Several of the people who were laid off were minorities, including African Americans and Hispanics."

Headline: "World to End; Women, Minorities, Hardest Hit."

[vette6387]

“The Slimes is in really bad financial trouble and is down to cutting the muscle and bone as well as the fat.”

I have a fine old bottle of Opus One ready to open when the Slimes finally goes bust. It will be interesting to see if the “trust fund” Sultzburger’s chase Pinch with a rope at the end of the day. He is such a dick!

[MNDude]

I’m with a company that’s hired a lot writers in the past. We’ve had our experience with hiring journalists, and NEVER AGAIN!

Here’s what I can tell you about journalist majors:

1. A dime a dozen (we get a couple hundred resumes from journalists for a writer’s position)
2. Arrogant: Hate getting input. They already have their mind made up about how things should work.
3. Lazy: Journalists will commonly drag their butt in the office at 9:30, have a leisure bowl of cereal while reading the newspaper before finally starting to “work”.
4. Need I say they’re all very liberal?

[abb]

I’ve had my own newsblog that covers several area local governments for three years and have “worked” alongside “real” journalists for that period of time. One other characteristic is their absolute disdain for financial statements or math of any kind.

Put a spreadsheet on the table in front of a “journalist,” and its as if he’s looking at Sanskrit.

[Chode]

and the RATS, take another one in the.........HA ha!!!

[bray]

Still not so bad they have to report the truth.

[GeronL]

let’em go, let’em go, let’em go

[GeronL]

OWN lost $330 million??

On what?? Their programming is crap.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Pinch will be the last one out the door.