Newspaper Roundup: AP; Gannett; WSJ; NYT; McClatchy; AH Belo; Express Newspapers
—AP: Identifying one more nail in the AP’s heart, BuzzMachine’s Jeff Jarvis notices that New Jersey’s Star-Ledger has put out a paper without any content from the wire service. The old syndication model is too costly for newspapers and is dying, Jarvis argues. In its place, Jarvis says a “reverse syndication” model will take hold, as represented by Politico.com’s new ad network, which offers to serve as newspapers’ DC bureau while sharing ad revenues. Update: Apparently, AP is getting the message: the wire service now planning to split revenue with some subs on a 50/50 basis. More details on paidContent here. (BuzzMachine)
—Gannett: Barely a month after saying it was laying off 600 staffers and eliminating 1,000 positions, Gannett (NYSE: GCI) is not done chopping. It will cut another 100 management level jobs, as it looks to fold circulation, finance and other operations into four regional groups. As in the last round of cuts, Gannett flagship USA Today is immune to the reductions. Apparently the AP has a sense of where things are headed: see paidContent’s story on the AP’s plans to split revenue 50/50 with some of its subs here. (AP)
—WSJ: In advance of a major overhaul of WSJ.com, the paper’s Heard on The Street column will be updated up to eight times a day on Dow Jones (NYSE: NWS) Newswires and the paper’s website. Staffers in the U.S., Europe and Asia will write for the column. DJ Newswires reporters who contribute to its column The Skeptic, which covers corporate strategy, trends and markets throughout the day, will also be part of the Heard team.(Marketwatch) More items after the jump.
—NYT: As it continues refining its coverage with new sub-sections for business and tech, NYT wants to bring more focus and collaboration to its media coverage. The NYT’s newly formed media desk will comprise reporters from the business and culture desks into a “mini-department.” Business editor Larry Ingrassia and culture editor Sam Sifton will oversee the unified desk’s coverage. (NY Observer)
—McClatchy: A trio of Washington State McClatchy (NYSE: MNI) pubs are being asked to accept buyouts and face additional layoffs: The Olympian is shifting to a 37.5-hour workweek for hourly staffers and is offering buyouts to 38 of the newsroom’s 45 full- and part-time employees; 17 posts were cut in June. The Tacoma News Tribune is asking 189 out of its 350 full-timers to take buyouts, as more layoffs—on top of the 82 let go in June—remains a possibility. And 60 of its 200 workers at the Tri-City Herald have been offered buyouts as well; it lost nine staffers in June. (Sacramento Business Journal)
—AH Belo: Although hundreds accepted its recent buyout offer, the Dallas publisher finds it still has to lay off staffers. So far, three papers are affected by the cuts: the Dallas Morning News, where 270 accepted buyouts and is letting go of 50 additional employees; Rhode Island’s Providence Journal and The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, CA. The combined company-wide reductions are expected to yield $29 million in savings on a yearly basis, the company said. (Projo.com via Romensko)
—Express Newspapers: The Daily Express and Sunday Express are preparing to lay off more than 80 journalists by the end of the year in an effort to cut costs. Most of the reductions are coming from the sub-editor desk. (More details on our ContentNext sister site, PC:UK)
Posted In: Jobs & Layoffs, Media & Publishing, Newspapers, Companies, Gannett, McClatchy, New York Times, News Corp., Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal, ah belo, express, layoffs