Cleveland Journos Deal with Plain Truth: Cuts Loom

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A crippling decrease in advertising revenue underlies massive cuts planned at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which may see the Advance Publications-owned daily's workforce reduced by one-third from 168 to 110, beginning in May 2013.

Crain's Cleveland Business this week reported that the Newspaper Guild chapter that represents the daily was told by management that the staff shrinkage would be accomplished through pink slips and job offers from Cleveland.com, which operates the daily's Web site. The Crain's article indicated that the Plain Dealer may follow the path of other Advance-owned dailies, such as the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and reduce its publishing schedule to thrice weekly, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The Plain Dealer's staff size presently is frozen by a contractual agreement that expires January 31.