Los Angeles Times faces cuts (20 +140)

Posted by Bertrand Pecquerie on June 22, 2004 at 5:48 PM

A new exclusive posting for Kevin Roderick, LAobserved: this letter from the Los Angeles Times editor to his staff... "On Friday 18 June, we notified all 42 staff members who applied for voluntary buyouts that their applications had been accepted. Today, we are notifying an additional 20 staff members that they are being laid off. All of the people who are leaving have made meaningful contributions to the paper and to life in the newsroom. We are sorry to be losing them. This is a wrenching time for them -- and also for those who are staying, some of whom are taking on more responsibility... It is crucial that this episode of cost cutting prove to be nothing more than that - a bump in the road, not a change in direction. I appreciate all you are doing for the Los Angeles Times. John Carroll" The proof that newsrooms are still on the front stage of cost-cutting exercises. Faced with lower than expected advertising revenue, the Los Angeles Times said that it had cut a total of about 160 jobs at the newspaper.

Source: LAobserved (excerpts of the LAT editor's letter). Hear also this NPR interview.

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