Apparently trying to compete with the Orange County Register for worst place to work on the planet, the Los Angeles Times is about to lay off 250 people, including 150 newsroom employees, according to a source who, for the time being at least, still actually works at the paper.
There's been rumors of imminent layoffs at the Times circulating for weeks, but this is the first time an actual number has surfaced.
No word yet on how many of those soon-to-be-ex-employees work in Orange County, but another source at the paper provided us a full text of today's email to Times staff from publisher David Hiller in which he announces the job cuts.
Folks,
Last week I talked about the actions we must take to build a viable, sustainable Los Angeles Times Media Group.
A necessary, but painful, part of fixing our business for the future is getting costs in line with revenues. Russ Stanton announced today (memo below) that we are eliminating approximately 150 positions from the newsroom. In total, we are eliminating approximately 250 positions company-wide, with most business-side reductions having already taken place. Similar efforts have been undertaken all across the newspaper industry and other areas, including many of our customers in auto, real estate, banking, travel, and retail who have also had to cut their own employees - and their advertising with us.
As hard as it is to keep all this change in perspective, it is critical that we think about it in terms of the future. We must build the next generation of journalism and media and not preside over the decline of an old business model. How we think about the future, and communicate this to our customers will make all the difference.
As we move forward, our plans include:
* A re-designed flagship Los Angeles Times newspaper to debut in the fall, reflecting the work of the Reinvent team, the Spring Street Project, and related efforts underway for quite some time
* A re-designed latimes.com website
* A combined multimedia newsroom to produce excellent content for both
* More targeted products for new audience segments
* A re-organized sales team fired up to turn our revenue picture around
* Increased utilization of our operating strengths so we can print and distribute newspapers and other products all across SoCal
We also need to remember that even with staff reductions, we have extraordinary and passionate people, great brands that readers and users trust, and advertising partners who want us to succeed because that is how they succeed.
Thank you for all that you do. And as we say goodbye to some of our colleagues, please join me in remembering and thanking them for helping build this great place.
David
Asked if there was anything else we should know about the layoffs and morale at the Times, our source summed things up in two words.
"We're fucked."
July 2, 2008 22:17
We gave the Times THREE chances to keep our business after informing them that their delivery driver was repeatedly throwing our paper into the gutter.
A simple request, right? Wrong.
We were subscribers for about four years and did not want to leave, but in the end, their customer service is what did them in for us.
Best wishes to everyone responsible for creating a fine paper that we will miss every morning...
July 3, 2008 13:44
It is painful to see our newspapers slowly dying. One day we will look back at them the way we now look back at 8 track tapes...and I loved my AC/DC, Led Zep and Queen 8 track tapes!
July 3, 2008 15:42
So when do we get to read about the layoffs at the OC Weekly? Or did I miss your article railing at your overlords for laying off Luke Thompson and some other poor sod?
Keven Roderick said it was so, so it has to be true: http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2008/05/morning_buzz_friday_53008.php
And yet in the month since that, the only mention of Luke was when he won something at the LA Press Club awards. What gives? Where's the OC Weekly Death Watch category already?
July 3, 2008 16:06
Those who throw the first stones, chula! You like to pile on Nick for supposedly getting his facts wrong, yet you're committing the same sin (and relying on someone else's work before verifying it--the horror). Fact is, the spots vacated by Luke and Derek are filled--check our masthead soon! Learn from your subcontinent copy editors, and come again!
July 3, 2008 16:24
Gussie! Nice of you to come out from under your desk and chip in! I suppose it's OK -- almost the holiday weekend, after all, so that braying cucaracha voice of yours won't be driving all your colleagues too crazy this late in the day!
Are you confirming that Nick is not without sin? That's awful big of you, li'l feller! I'll stand by for his upcoming mea culpea correction, then?
Your pal,
Margaret B. Jones
July 3, 2008 16:28
all the papers will die... because for the last 8 years, the only real news has been from blogs made by people who do NOT get paid for their blogging.
paid blogs are shills, reporters are shills, all major papers only employ presstitutes.
they will tell us the story they are told to tell, not what matters.
July 3, 2008 16:38
Mixed metaphors, chula! Asses bray; cucarachas hiss. I might be both, but get the noises straight--unless you did, and your new copy editors messed up.
Only the Nazarene is without sin. You've sinned, I've sinned, we've all sinned. Confess!
July 3, 2008 17:56
Confession.... You know, Gus, that's always a good idea.
Speaking of which, have you confessed yet to your good Catholic parents that you live in sin with your eco-friendly girlfriend?
Confess!
Your pal,
Agnes Bojaxhiu
July 3, 2008 18:51
Ooo, chula's a creepy stalker! You know the answer, honey!
July 3, 2008 22:31
I don't get the LA Times but I read it online along with many other newspapers. I would be glad to pay for an online subscription to the LA Times but nobody has asked me to pay. Why the hell not? If me and a 100,000 others paid $24 a year, they could probably save over half these jobs. I am scratching my head.
July 4, 2008 11:59
Riddle me this. Other than engrained misogyny, why does every single media outlet (or content providers) refuse to cover the single busiest court in the nation, family court? Because not covering the misogyny entrenched in law enforcement, the courts, and Congress, makes domestic violence hugely profitable.
Doubters check out how much in the way of "anger management" programs and police departments requesting grants for bullet-proof vests are handed out through DOJ...although the U.S. Supreme Court in Castle Rock vs. Gonzales ruled police officers don't have to enforce restraining orders?
Details at www.FamilyLawCourts.com/domestic.hmtl
For more on LA misogyny see www.FamilyLawCourts.com/countylosangeles.html
OR, www.BadCopNews.com
A Halliburton style run Family Court is causing too many people to get killed.
Dead kids at www.FamilyLawCourts.com/kids.html
This and more media misses at
http://mainstreammisses.blogspot.com/
July 5, 2008 21:41
Hey, Jen!
Sincerely!....thank you for the links!....we've been looking for news along these lines!....
Beeeeezling.......
did The Mexican snub you at some bar, or something?.....
geez, girly, get over it!....
July 6, 2008 09:13
As a spouse of a current employee of the LA Times I can attest to the levels of stress these recent lay-offs are causing. the process in determining who is to go has been likened to being in a firing squad, where only some of the rifles have bullets and you never know who will be shot, but each person being aimed at feels the pressure none the less.
If the Times is struggling, it is most likely due to TWO(2) factors, 1. too many chiefs, you have managers answering to managers, managers with several assistants to help them with their correspondence that they should be able to handle.
2.cutting circulation jobs that are needed in order to maintain or improve delivery service to customers that KEEP THE PAPER ALIVE.
They need to take care of their customers by maintaing a staff capable of doing so, unlike the skeleton crew that they have created by the previous lay-offs.
July 7, 2008 09:56
It's a death spiral ... cut editorial and you lose subscribers ... lose subscribers and you lose advertisers ... lose advertisers and you cut editorial ... lather, rinse, repeat.
I've been a subscriber since 1979 - my decision to continue as a subscriber will be based on how I view the quality of the paper once the content reductions (15%) are announced.
I see a couple of things wrong with the state of newspapers: 1) Nobody wants to be the owner of a great newspaper; they only want to own a money-making newspaper; 2) Too many newspapers are trying to be the New York Times.
1. As much as I think George Steinbrenner is a jerk I will grant him the fact that he is obsessed with having the NY Yankees be the best baseball team in the world. He is willing to pay what it takes to be the best. He makes money, sure, but he'd keep spending even if he didn't because his ego won't settle for anything less than the best. Given the choice of making the most money or winning the most championships, George will choose the trophy every time. Unfortunately, the Times (Tribune) sold its soul to someone who talked a good game but who cares only about money. The Times needs an owner who cares first and foremost about having an amazing community asset.
2. How many versions of the New York Times does the world really need? If I ran the circus I would focus the coverage of the LA Times on the following: 1) southern california; 2) politics in Sacramento that affect the entire state; 3) those areas of the entertainment/fashion industry that are based in southern california. With just those three items you easily fill a newpaper and call it "great". You've got millions of people living here; you've got professional sports teams; Pac-10 sports, great educational institutions, incredible tourism, you've got the center of the movie and TV business; you've got a huge fashion presence; you've got the center of the automobile universe, etc. The LA Times could be great again if it focused more on the "LA". As it is, I never read stories in the LA Times that do not have the byline of an LA Times writer attached. Further, I rarely read international stories from LA Times writers and I find that I can get a better treatment from LA sources.