St. Louis, Mo.
Owner: Lee Enterprises
Effective: June 8, 2012
An advertising employee was laid off. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: Paper Cuts tip
Full disclosure: I am a former Post-Dispatch employee; I resigned in April 2012.
St. Louis, Mo.
Owner: Lee Enterprises
Effective: May 22, 2012
Lynnwood, Wash.
Owner: Daily Herald Co., a subsidiary of Washington Post Co.
Effective: Aug. 29, 2012
After nearly 54 years, the weekly paper has closed. Ten employees were laid off. “The Weekly Herald staff has been creative and innovative in serving residents and businesses in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace,” Herald publisher and general manager David Dadisman wrote in a memo to employees two weeks before the paper closed. “I’m sad that we couldn’t develop a revenue model that sustained this great community journalism.” The Weekly Herald once published four editions; it was consolidated into one edition in 2009. Before 2011, it was The Enterprise.
Sources: Weekly Herald via Paper Cuts tip; Weekly Herald
Boise, Idaho
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Announced: Aug. 24, 2012
An unknown number of employees were laid off. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: Paper Cuts tip
Seattle
Owner: Seattle Times Co.
Effective: July 3, 2012
“Approximately 12″ employees were laid off, at least five from the newsroom. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Sources: Paper Cuts tip; The Stranger
Las Vegas
Owner: Stephens Media LLC
Date: Aug. 14, 2012
Six editors were laid off, including the managing editor. They will be replaced by two editors: One to oversee news and business, one to oversee sports and features.
Sources: Paper Cuts tips; Jim Romenesko; 4th St8
Central Arkansas
Owner: WEHCO Media Inc. / Stephens Media LLC
Effective: Aug. 3, 2012
The photography departments for the Northwest Arkansas Newspapers were combined; five employees were laid off. WEHCO and Stephens each own half of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC, which was created in November 2009. Stephens is responsible for editorial control of the northwest Arkansas papers; the WEHCO controls advertising, business, production and circulation, and retains editorial control of the Democrat-Gazette. The Stephens papers include the Benton County Daily Record, the Morning News, Rogers Morning News, Springdale Morning News, and the Northwest Arkansas Times. “We didn’t anticipate the severity or duration of the economic recession we were in,” Northwest Arkansas Newspapers President Jeff Jeffus wrote in a memo to employees. “It just didn’t make sense for us to continue duplication in some areas.”
Source: NWA Online via Paper Cuts tip
Central Arkansas
Owner: Stephens Media LLC
Effective: July 31, 2012
Four newsroom employees were laid off: The managing editor of Stephens’ seven weekly Arkansas papers, the sports editor of the four Pulaski County papers, and two reporters. General Manager Emily Billings told Arkansas Business the layoffs would improve the papers’ financial outlook. The weeklies will be produced by four editorial employees, “a daunting task, but I’m actually very excited about the opportunity this presents us,” Billings said. The seven papers are: Times of North Little Rock, Sherwood Voice, Jacksonville Patriot, Maumelle Monitor, Cabot Star-Herald, Lonke Democrat and Carlisle Independent. Billings said the same approach has been successful at the Van Buren County Democrat and Hot Springs Village Voice.
Source: Arkansas Business via Paper Cuts tip
Holland, Mich.
Owner: GateHouse Media Inc.
Effective: June 2012
The paper’s eight advertising designers were laid off. The laid-off employees could reapply for the four remaining positions.
Source: Paper Cuts tip
Sacramento, Calif.
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Effective: July 23, 2012
Twelve employees were laid off, including two from the newsroom. Community Affairs Director Pam Dinsmore said “about half will be offered other jobs within the company,” but did not elaborate on what those jobs were.
Source: Sacramento Press via Paper Cuts tip; Sacramento Business Journal
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