(New Orleans) Times-Picayune lays off more than 200 employees (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune ^ | June 13, 2012 | Jaquetta White

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Managers at The Times-Picayune informed more than 200 members of the newspaper staff Tuesday that their last day at the company will be Sept. 30. The Times-Picayune, according to company executives, is shrinking its overall staff - including news, advertising, circulation and other departments - by 32 percent, or 201 employees.

Employees who were not laid off were offered new jobs beginning this fall with Nola Media Group or Advance Central Services Louisiana, two new companies that will oversee news coverage and production and distribution, respectively, for The Times-Picayune and its affiliated website nola.com.

The layoffs come as part of a plan to reduce publication of the daily newspaper to three days a week this fall. When the four publication days are cut, the news operation will shift its focus online to NOLA.com, and both the newspaper and website will be overseen by the newly created Nola Media Group. Ricky Mathews, who will replace Ashton Phelps as the paper's publisher, will be its president. The decision was made in response to a digital shift in the newspaper industry that makes more digitally focused content-gathering necessary, according to an announcement posted to NOLA.com May 24.

Nola Media Group, which will include news, advertising sales and marketing, will employ 271 individuals, 189 of whom received employment offers on Tuesday. Another 82 positions will be filled before the company launches this fall, 52 of them in the news operation.

ACS, which includes the finance, accounting, production and information technology departments will employ 245 people. Offers were made to 211 people Tuesday for that company, with 34 people yet to be hired.

In The Times-Picayune newsroom, 84 employees -- nearly half of the 175 people employed in the newsroom -- were notified Tuesday that they will lose their jobs and were offered severance packages.

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News today.

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ping

[hal ogen]

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Yet another “summer of recovery” event.

[abb]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/us/new-orleans-struggles-with-latest-storm-newspaper-layoffs.html?_r=1&ref=business&pagewanted=all
New Orleans Struggles With Latest Storm, Newspaper Layoffs

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/176713/report-cable-companies-in-antitrust-probe-over-da.html
Report: Cable Companies in Antitrust Probe over Data Caps, TV Everywhere

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/177058/detroit-publisher-says-layoffs-coming-to-free-press/
Detroit publisher says layoffs coming to Free Press

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/177011/warren-buffett-buys-small-texas-newspaper/
Warren Buffett to buy small Texas daily, will own 88 newspapers

http://mediaofbirmingham.com/2012/06/12/birmingham-news-fires-more-than-100-employees/
Birmingham News fires more than 100 employees

http://jimromenesko.com/

[abb]

http://www.adweek.com/news/television/cbs-wraps-final-upfront-deal-141084
CBS Wraps Final Upfront Deal
Dollar volume flat versus lucrative 2011-12 market

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/485841-CBS_ABC_Wrap_Upfront_Ad_Sales.php
CBS, ABC Wrap Upfront Ad Sales
UPDATED: Volume flat to down from last year

http://observer.com/2012/06/tina-brown-newsweek-cover-obama-trayvon-martin-06122012/
That Time Tina Brown Almost Turned Obama Into Trayvon on the Cover of Newsweek

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/176622/tv-begins-eroding-as-primary-video-device-forcing.html
TV Begins Eroding As Primary Video Device: Forcing Redefinitions Of ‘Households,’ Work Vs. Leisure Time

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/upfront-wrapping-up-on-a-down-note/
Upfront wrapping up on a down note
ABC and CBS sell less than last year against weaker demand

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/2012/06/got-digital-product-plan.html#comments
Got a digital product plan?

http://timwindsor.com/
Zero Percent Idle

http://newspaperdeathwatch.com/new-journalism-debate-gets-nasty/
New Journalism Debate Gets Nasty

[aimhigh]

Our local, Gannett paper instituted an online subscription requirement today. I expect them to fold one of these days. Worthless liberal paper.

[abb]

The Louisiana tentacles of the Gannett octopus are The (Shreveport, LA) Times, The (Monroe, LA) News Star, The (Lafayette, LA) Advertiser, The (Alexandria) Town Talk, and The (Opelousas, LA) Daily World.

What ‘tentacle’ are you near?

[Proud2BeRight]

“It’s very clear that private sector jobs are doing just fine.” - Barack Hussein Obama

Or have I incorrectly assumed that liberal lapdog rags are even part of the private sector? LOL

[hattend]

plan to reduce publication of the daily newspaper to three days a week

Next year it will be competing with the once a week Thrifty Nickle free classified newspaper.

[aimhigh]

What ‘tentacle’ are you near?

Oregon

[TribalPrincess2U]

Won’t be long before the only news outlet will be one government fed and paid for with taxpayers money.

[Charles Martel]

I remain surprised by the Times-Picayune’s troubles... my impression was that the New Orleans area (not just the city proper) was still a fairly old-fashioned market where print media was second only to TV. Apparently things there are changing more rapidly than I would have expected.

[Romulus]

No, your instinct was correct. The TP is still a profitable paper, with a substantial community presence. It's a mystery why Newhouse is doing this, unless it's some weird sort of strategic planning maneuver. The TP is not a great paper, but not quite terrible either. Mostly weak on the hard news and editorial page, but quite good on sports and community features. Politically it's moderately liberal. It has supported both Democrat and Republican candidates. The web site is clunky and dumb. The web page of the (locally owned) Baton Rouge Advocate is much more intelligently done, with the look & feel and interface of a traditional broadsheet paper. If the Advocate decides to launch a NOLA edition, I think Mrs Romulus and I will give it a try. It's sad and a bit shaming that the Picayune's proud name will be lost this way.

[Charles Martel]

If things keep going in this direction for the Picayune, its name may end up in smaller print below that of the Advocate, just like when the former absorbed the New Orleans States Item in the 1980s.

I agree - it would be good to see the Advocate expand into that market. It's still a locally-owned paper, an increasingly rare thing.

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http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2012/06/13/after-the-cuts-at-the-times-picayune
After the cuts at The Times-Picayune

http://wwno.org/post/city-news-organizations-respond-times-picayune-layoffs
City news organizations respond to Times-Picayune layoffs

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/steve-kelley-pink-slipped-veteran-political-cartoonist-is-among-todays-times-picayune-layoffs/2012/06/12/gJQAuxcbYV_blog.html
STEVE KELLEY PINK-SLIPPED: Veteran political cartoonist is among today’s Times-Picayune layoffs

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/why-a-weak-website-cant-replace-a-daily-newspaper-in-new-orleans/258393/
Why a Weak Website Can’t Replace a Daily Newspaper in New Orleans

http://ajr.org/Article.asp?id=5346
Newhouse Flunks the Test in New Orleans

http://www.wwltv.com/news/clancys-commentaries/DuBos-The-day-the-daily-newspaper-died-158631235.html
DuBos: The day the local daily newspaper died

[MovementConservative]

I’ll bet the two new companies will be non-union. Can we hope the newsroom is non-leftist.