Paper Cuts: documenting US newspaper job losses and closures

Paper Cuts is a website run by Erica Smith, which launched in April 2008 and tallies all the job cuts and closures affecting the U.S. On the site, a map of the U.S. is covered in pins marking where jobs have been lost and publications closed in 2008 and 2009.  The map of closures is becoming fuller with the addition of publications such as the Rocky Mountain News, whilst the number of jobs lost so far this year is put at 3,359 jobs and counting.

In an interview with the Arkansas Traveler, Smith explains that she tries to be as accurate as possible, "if I can't confirm layoffs or a paper has taken actions that will likely cause layoffs, like cutting circulation areas, or cutting sections, then they go on the 'rumors' page until I can find out more". Whilst the site is an all too real demonstration of the problems hitting U.S. papers, it is also an ideal example of effective multimedia usage in journalism.

Source: Paper Cuts, Arkansas Traveler