Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Layoffs | Estimated job cuts climb to nearly 190

[Updated at 11:52 p.m. ET with latest jobs data.]

Gannett Bloggers
have counted as many as 189 jobs eliminated at 24 U.S. newspapers in recent weeks, all part of an unannounced series of job reductions across the company. To date, the single-biggest layoff came last week at The Cincinnati Enquirer: 20 people.

We're keeping track of these cuts on this spreadsheet. Please see whether your site is represented, then post current figures in the comments section, below. And a reminder: We're counting all jobs in all divisions -- not just the U.S. newspaper division.

Related: this spreadsheet counts the 255 jobs cut at 63 worksites in November.

82 comments:

  1. The count now includes three jobs at the Tallahassee Democrat.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There were actually 4 at the Asheville Citizen-Times. 1 Layout Coordinator, 1 Copy Editor, 1 in Accounting, 1 photo position not being filled.

    ReplyDelete
  3. what were the jobs in Tallahassee?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Any job cuts at MNCO (small Ohio papers)?

    ReplyDelete
  5. @1:40 Not that I know of

    ReplyDelete
  6. @1:40: MNCO had five announced a few weeks ago, all outside the newsroom. They're listed under Bucyrus in the spreadsheet, although I'm not sure of the exact locations.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 7:58 pm - Two in Newark (1 in Sales, 1 in Finance), and one in Zanesville (Sales). Don't know who the other two were.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jim, the link to the spreadsheet seems to be broken.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 3 at the Democrat? I only knew of one. I'd like to know the positions as well.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What were the lost jobs in Elmira-Ithaca-Bnghamton?

    ReplyDelete
  11. 10:25 I've just checked both links to both spreadsheets, and they seem to be working.

    ReplyDelete
  12. not to sound like a troll, but 170 layoffs is a far cry from 5,000.

    The only way we'll reach that number is if whole sites and/or business units are lopped off.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Within the past hour, the Asbury Park Press' assistant digital editor/social interaction person (monitoring blog comments and forums, etc.)/columnist/popular blogger was laid off. We hear she was told that the decision was not based on performance, but that the position had been eliminated. She has been here for a long time.

    Also, Kate Marymount is here. Don't know if the visit has to do with the design center or ...

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is 10:13 a.m. again - four in advertising let go.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Any specifics on the Tallahassee jobs?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Re 10:13 a.m....Way to go Gannett! Cuts from digital make noooooo sense at all. Cuts from the age of print, hey, understandable. But cutting your digital staff, what's that about?

    And oh, how nice of Mary M. to pay a visit! Talk about the grim reaper tapping on the door!

    ReplyDelete
  17. NJ Press layoffs today

    ReplyDelete
  18. 2 circ, 1 classified

    ReplyDelete
  19. 11:03 and 11:16 Are you referring to the Asbury Park Press? (Gannett doesn't have a paper called the N.J. Press.)

    ReplyDelete
  20. The NJ group is now called New Jersey Press Media. Renamed a few months back.

    ReplyDelete
  21. 11:30 again - it was a re-branding for marketing purposes. Our e-mails now end with @njpressmedia.com.

    ReplyDelete
  22. 11:16 At which paper were those 2 circ, 1 classified jobs?

    ReplyDelete
  23. At the APP, the newsroom's two higher-ups are now gone for the day - possibly headed to the Courier Post/Vineland with Kate? No one left to cut at the HNT/CN/Record, so if there are more cuts planned for NJ today, that's where we can assume they're going (heavy emphasis on the "assume.")

    ReplyDelete
  24. The first cuts were are the Asbury Park Press, there are more coming.

    ReplyDelete
  25. 1:44 - more coming where?

    ReplyDelete
  26. APP no longer has jurisdiction over Vineland and Courier-Post. I think they probably just left for celabratory drinks at the local watering hole ...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Dejected in Jersey2/22/2011 5:26 PM

    Daily Record (Parsippany) laid off its advertising director/manager today. Also, in addition to the one (so far) newsroom person and four advertising people at the Asbury Park Press, one person in the marketing department also was laid off.

    Regarding the claim that the "APP no longer has jurisdiction over Vineland and Courier-Post," I wouldn't be so certain of that. They are no longer in the current plans for the regional copy desk, but they are definitely coming to the Neptune hub. And no one has taken Tom Donovan's name of the masthead yet.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hopefully the grim reapers did head south to get rid of ad director and many of the unproductive useless people who he inherited at the courierpost post. Our ad dept in cherry hill is terrible. Why have many of the losers there remained?

    ReplyDelete
  29. 10:13, are you talking about DF?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Really Disgusted in Jersey2/22/2011 8:23 PM

    One final cut at APP newsroom today, a projects reporter, who just came back from furlough, was told it's about the numbers corporate wanted cut, not performance.
    So whatya gonna use the money for Craig, Gracey, Dickey and the other two. More bonuses, Bentleys and Bubbley?
    Disgusting because the digital person who was let go was a 19-year-veteran who won an NJPA award for her column last week. I guess the only excellence they (upper upper mgt) respects is the high end Porsches featured in Excellence magazine.

    ReplyDelete
  31. 8:23, what reporter was that?

    ReplyDelete
  32. Is it true that more than 5800 people were hired by the company in the last year? That's the number that was tossed around recently at an all hands meeting.

    ReplyDelete
  33. 5:26: Tom Donovan's name isn't on the masthead for the South Jersey papers and he doesn't oversee them anymore. The Wilmington publisher does now.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hey, 5:26 PM (Dejected in Jersey)....who was the APP marketing person let go?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Who was the Daily Record (Parsippany) advertising director/manager?
    Thought that position had been eliminated 1-2 years ago!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Someone needs to investigate PointRoll. Some serious violations of discrimination and sexual harassment that is being over looked by this management team. I hear they are trying to keep it from Gannett.

    ReplyDelete
  37. There are plenty of people to weed out of CN/HNT. Two of the gals managed to manipulate former bosses to reassign them to conjured up positions so as to keep their jobs. They're still there but their bosses have moved on.

    ReplyDelete
  38. westchester site soon will be sold. layoff will happen in my opinion. coming soon watch out.

    ReplyDelete
  39. APP laid off 1 single copy district manager and a clerk in circulation. in addition to all named above. Home News laid off their single copy manager. Daily Record also had lay offs. Again.
    Ah-but we need the numbers to move people. No help, no money to spend and one crappy product to sell.the NJ Press newspapers are awful-generic nothing papers that no one wants to read.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous... top leadership in GCI wants loyally from the bottom down and there is no loyally from top down. this is sad commentary in gannett history and legenary in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonmymos said... westchesteter site head to bottom line underperformeding list in the company no vision in my opinion. no rasies only furlough and layoffs to cut cost.sell the building and stick and fork in it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. @Really Disgusted (8:23 p.m.): Ouch. That's my worst nightmare. My sympathy to that person.

    ReplyDelete
  43. For anyone that has to re-apply and interview for their position, I suggest grilling the manager about Gannett the company like you've never worked there before.

    "So Mr. Manager, what can you tell me about Gannett? How has it performed lately? Has it been growing and innovating? Have they had layoffs or furloughs in the past year or so? Can I count on the leadership to provide a stable work environment?"

    Of course only do this if you have something else lined up...

    ReplyDelete
  44. That would be nice, 9:53 a.m., except the folks doing the "interviewing" are human resource people from other sites who have no info except for the printed list of questions that corporate prepared for them.

    Then you go before a couple of lackey editors who knew long beforehand whether they were going to keep you or not. That part of the process lasts about 1-2 minutes.

    At least that's the way it's worked at Westchester. Total sham. Management totally lost whatever smidgen of respect and credibility it had left.

    ReplyDelete
  45. 7:44 p.m. - yes, DF was let go yesterday. Unbelievable.

    ReplyDelete
  46. This 'interviewing' process is a sham! Decisions made before. Interviews are most likely being done to cover gannett's ass legally. What a disgusting company and shame on the idiots who are doing these so-called interviews. Someday they will get "interviewed" as they are shown the door. Hey everyone, don't give this crappy company anything beyond what you have to do until you get out. Remember, gannett doesn't give a damn about any of us!

    ReplyDelete
  47. You can be sure that Gannett has been very careful to cover themselves legally. It may not be fair, just, or morally right, but it will be "legally" done.
    By eliminating positions, they can get rid of people. If they just went after under-performers, they would not be able to trim the workforce. This is why we are seeing, over and over, quality people losing their jobs. Gannett is not looking at the value of the incumbents of those jobs. They are trying to get rid of headcount.
    They will probably even tell you that you are free to apply for new openings at the company (as if!).

    ReplyDelete
  48. Part of the problem is that they are not getting rid of those drones who should go, especially those in various levels of management ( ass kissing troll drones). Some of the most incompetent and lazy are in many of the advertising departments many of whom spend more work time on personal stuff versus hunting up and getting revenue in so we can keep going. I get angry whenever I go into the advertising ares and watch the party atmosphere.

    ReplyDelete
  49. not being a smarta** or a "troll" but with NJ consolidating it's 3 papers, aren't layoffs a given there? It seems that most of the layoffs are coming from the Jersey papers....

    ReplyDelete
  50. The spreadsheet now reflects the addition of six more jobs cut in Nashville.

    ReplyDelete
  51. just heard Jim, any idea where the cuts were?

    ReplyDelete
  52. I've been told the six Nashville cuts were in advertising.

    ReplyDelete
  53. is this upper management advertising in Nashville or regular sales people?

    ReplyDelete
  54. seems the California papers escaped this round? Are they out performing other papers or have they already been cut too much?

    ReplyDelete
  55. 11:22 -- You'd think they'd WANT to be on the street to get more commissions. I don't get it either.

    ReplyDelete
  56. i don't know whose sales dept 11:22 and 2:11 are looking at, but it's definitely not that way at my site...generalizing everything is not a very accurate description...obviously you two have time to get on the blog, so.....

    ReplyDelete
  57. Had Gannett implemented tighter compensation oversight it would not have had to cut so much.

    Using salary tables and minimums exceeding local market demand, and what new hires specifically seek, is a waste. Paying the latter even more upon arrival than what they agreed too because they were under is a waste. Doling out double-digit increases, some exceeding $10k, $20k or more for little change in responsibility now is a waste. Paying more solely because some discovered peers made more is a waste. Paying managers more than those they manage, as rule, is a waste; especially when it ignores subordinate’s service years.

    Look, all want to make more money but its time corporate wised up and forced all papers to report and justify increases over X amount as costly practices like these have been going on for years, including the past one.

    Why? Because the savings this would generate would save jobs, perhaps even yours. Had one operation not squandered so much in a realignment last year they could have easily saved more than a few.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Heard about the advertising cut made at DR but nothing about one in newsroom. Any info?

    ReplyDelete
  59. What site is DR ?
    I wish people would include site name/city,
    those of us not at that site may not know.
    DR = Des Moines Register ? my site ?

    ReplyDelete
  60. At least one more cut at APP today

    ReplyDelete
  61. 6 today at the Tennessean

    ReplyDelete
  62. @10:49 AM- that's exactly what we're seeing at our site. Quality people being shown the door.

    ReplyDelete
  63. There's been at least one lay-off in Melbourne, FL.

    ReplyDelete
  64. You have five listed for Muncie unless I read the spreadsheet wrong. I work there, no layoffs since 6 in October and those were part of the larger company layoffs, I believe.

    ReplyDelete
  65. 8:07 I think you're looking at the spreadsheet for November job reductions; in the current sheet, I'm not listing any for Muncie.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Three total in Melbourne. Two copy editors and a photographer. Sad.

    ReplyDelete
  67. @ 12:11 in reference to the cuts in Nashville. No...no management positions. (surprise) They were, 1 each, in the following categories:
    Marketing researcher
    Classified inside sales
    Custom pubs copywriter
    Sales rep
    Classified Direct mail
    Commercial printing

    ReplyDelete
  68. Is this round 2 for the latest of the layoffs? Mgmt. first, now non management?

    ReplyDelete
  69. Furloughed Fury2/23/2011 9:43 PM

    Dear 2:43:
    Nice analysis,but theories are great in the lab and lousy in practice.
    If there is a compensation model that needs to be examined in this company, it is the executive compensation model.
    I personally have gotten great reviews year after year, but then it comes to "merit pay" the EE tells me how he'd love to give me a merit raise, but corporate hasn't given him any money to do that.
    Then come the furloughs, the lay-offs and the wage freezes. And they are ALWAYS accompanied by added job responsibilities.
    Meanwhile, thanks to Jim (sincere thanks, not sarcastic) we continue to read about bonuses on top of raises on top of stock bonuses given to executives who take out short term debt as the industry collapses and proposes to repay it based on growth.
    These are managers who cannot come up with a business model that doesn't trace its origins to Guttenberg. And they continue to degrade the content and assume the reader/customer is too stupid to notice.
    Simply said, if they were regularly salaried or hourly employees they would be put on probation and given 6 months to clean up their act or they'd be fired.
    So with all due respect Mr. or Ms. 2:43 do not look to the rank and file for any more cuts, give backs, wage freezes or salary reductions, look to the glass offices and executive suites. There is lots of dead wood and lots of opportunities for savings there. And those millions would save a HELL of a lot of jobs.

    ReplyDelete
  70. 9:43 -- You are right on. Well said. And from the palace we hear an echo: "Let them eat cake!"

    ReplyDelete
  71. Cuts today in Des Moines; at least one in newsroom. Has anyone heard of more? Tragic. Some of the best talent (a photographer) and you know it is because there is no VP Adv, no #2 and no plan. Disgusting!! There is money to be made. Someone is being very stupid. Wrong people in charge! They used to have a great department for this! Even the readers talk about how stupid this is (and the advertisers too!)

    ReplyDelete
  72. To cut to the chase 9:43, the largess many execs still receive for running this company into the ground is unconscionable. Especially Dubow’s as under his reign Gannett’s lost billions in revenues and profits, and more importantly 20,000 employees -- all of which can’t be blamed solely on excuses that it resulted from this “economic storm and post 9/11 impact.”

    Magner, McFarland and Williams need to correct it as well as pressure Dubow et al to put an end to their self-aggrandizement with Gannett Foundation’s funds. The latter sends a bad message at a bad time.

    However, make no mistake with what I shared as its not theoretical, its in practice now. Again, all should be properly rewarded for their efforts, but the inefficient use of a shrinking pool of monies and high-percentages paid to a select few has led to more job losses; likely why your EE couldn’t give you more. Local management makes those individualized choices, not corporate – they only care about aggregate amounts. Exactly why papers should report an increase exceeding X amounts, say 5%.

    And that’s my point as giving one middle-manager a $25k plus raise, a few others double-digit bumps and other acts forced deeper cuts. If it's not reigned in to reality even more will get cut in coming rounds.

    2:43 PM

    ReplyDelete
  73. New Jersey is the prototype. As they go--so do the other Hubs. Corp is watching how NJ manages the layoffs the reduction to staff, the changes to products, combination of papers and doing the same at the other HUBS.

    ReplyDelete
  74. You're right, Jim. My fault.

    ReplyDelete
  75. It's interesting to note that the Editor and Publisher website is again quoting the Gannett Blog. This time regarding Gannett staffing and layoffs.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Romenesko/Poynter site also referencing Gannett Blog on same subject.

    ReplyDelete
  77. I heard the rumors that there is more layoffs in next few months

    ReplyDelete
  78. The layoff's in Brevard stand at 7, so far...
    That is not counting newly vacated positions which will not be filled and that tally currently is at 4, with more in the pipes, so the real total is 11.
    More to come...

    ReplyDelete
  79. Two long-time (20+ years) employees at Opelousas La. Daily World hours were cut in half, to 20 hours a week, no benefits and no severance if they leave. Anybody hear of other cutbacks, layoffs, etc. in La.?

    ReplyDelete
  80. @7:53 PM: what positions do they hold? Haven't heard of anything in my end of La., but keeping eyes and ears open. It's all on the down-low now.

    ReplyDelete
  81. One more got the boot in Brevard, so tally now stands at 8.
    1 press man
    2 copy editors
    1 photographer
    2 managers and 1 specialist in advertising
    1 IT person

    Several unfilled positions will not staffed, so the real number is somewhere north of 12

    In the past HR informed us when the layoff's had come to an end, but not this time, which makes one wonder...

    ReplyDelete
  82. There was one layoff at the CN on 2/22. One of the production "Ad Traffickers" that had worked there for over 30 years

    ReplyDelete

Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.