US: Continued job cuts at newspapers

Massachusetts politicians, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy, oppose the savage job cuts at the Globe imposed by Sulzberger.  Their letter encourages Sulzberger to “resist pressures to cut staff and other resources.” Continues the letter: “Over time since the New York Times Co. acquired the Boston Globe in 1993, a troubling pattern of disinvestment, downsizing, outsourcing and cost cutting has emerged.”

The Boston paper is in the midst of an internal crisis.  Last Wednesday the Boston Newspaper Guild rejected a proposed union contract that would have excluded members from benefiting from the paper’s website.

The Globe was seen as one of the main reasons for the New York Times Company’s poor third-quarter results last week.

Yet another northeastern newspaper group is struggling to remain afloat.  The publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News announced Friday that redundancies were expected due to a decrease in advertising revenue.  The group is expected to produce $50 million in cash flow this year, compared to $100 million in 2004.
 
In this sagging newspaper economy, when are job cuts necessary and at what point do they severely endanger the quality of the industry?  Do citizens and politicians have a right to stand up for the quality of journalism?
 
Sources: Boston Herald, Reuters