Bad Day for Southern Journos with Layoffs at Two Dailies

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The continuing loss of advertising lineage and shriveling circulation among newspapers means more layoffs in the newsroom.


Trade publication Editor & Publisher reports that The Florida Times Union, owned by Augusta, Ga.-based Morris Publishing Group, this week laid off 6 percent of its work force, or 26 workers, a third of whom were editorial staffers. Editorial cartoonist Ed Gamble's position was one of eight newsroom slots eliminated. Morris Publishing Group last spring emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


The news isn't any better at The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, which underwent its second round of layoffs this year. The paper this week eliminated 20 positions through layoffs and voluntary buyouts, and is mandating that remaining workers take an unpaid week-long furlough in the fourth quarter of 2010.  In January, the paper trimmed 11 newsroom jobs among 25 staff cutbacks overall.