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| New York tabloids cut staff in 'grimmest day' for city's newspapers | New York tabloids cut staff in 'grimmest day' for city's newspapers |
| (2 days later) | |
| It had to happen - but the fact of jobs being cut at New York's two struggling tabloids, the Daily News and the Post, has still shocked the city's journalists. | It had to happen - but the fact of jobs being cut at New York's two struggling tabloids, the Daily News and the Post, has still shocked the city's journalists. |
| News broke today of at least 20 editorial staff being made redundant at the News as the Post offered voluntary buyouts to journalists in an attempt to achieve a 10% reduction in newsroom staffing. | News broke today of at least 20 editorial staff being made redundant at the News as the Post offered voluntary buyouts to journalists in an attempt to achieve a 10% reduction in newsroom staffing. |
| Daily News staffers were informed about the "difficult and painful" process of cutbacks in a memo sent by the paper's editor-in-chief, Colin Myler, and its senior executive, Bill Holiber. | Daily News staffers were informed about the "difficult and painful" process of cutbacks in a memo sent by the paper's editor-in-chief, Colin Myler, and its senior executive, Bill Holiber. |
| Their note said the cuts were "an inevitable consequence of the challenges we continue to face", a reference to fast-falling newsprint advertising revenue. | Their note said the cuts were "an inevitable consequence of the challenges we continue to face", a reference to fast-falling newsprint advertising revenue. |
| The cuts are being dressed up as part of a restructure that will see extra resources devoted to online news. | The cuts are being dressed up as part of a restructure that will see extra resources devoted to online news. |
| Over at the Post, its editor, Col Allan, issued a memo offering staff the chance to volunteer for pay-off packages in order to reduce the paper's headcount by 10%. But Allan did indicate that if there were not enough volunteers, mandatory redundancies might occur. | Over at the Post, its editor, Col Allan, issued a memo offering staff the chance to volunteer for pay-off packages in order to reduce the paper's headcount by 10%. But Allan did indicate that if there were not enough volunteers, mandatory redundancies might occur. |
| The redundancies are also linked to the fact that the Post's owner, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, is preparing to create a separate publishing division. | The redundancies are also linked to the fact that the Post's owner, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, is preparing to create a separate publishing division. |
| After the split due this summer, the newspapers will no longer be cushioned by the company's more profitable entertainment entities. And the Post is said to lose as much as $110m (£65.2m) a year. | After the split due this summer, the newspapers will no longer be cushioned by the company's more profitable entertainment entities. And the Post is said to lose as much as $110m (£65.2m) a year. |
| In a third development at another New York paper, The Village Voice, there was turmoil after its editor-in-chief, Will Bourne, and deputy editor, Jessica Lustig, quit after refusing to lay off staff. | In a third development at another New York paper, The Village Voice, there was turmoil after its editor-in-chief, Will Bourne, and deputy editor, Jessica Lustig, quit after refusing to lay off staff. |
| They had been told to eliminate, or drastically reduce, five of the 20 positions at the paper. | They had been told to eliminate, or drastically reduce, five of the 20 positions at the paper. |
| An experienced New York media observer said: "It is one of the grimmest days in New York newspaper history." | An experienced New York media observer said: "It is one of the grimmest days in New York newspaper history." |
| Could the rival tabloids be on the verge of a merger? | Could the rival tabloids be on the verge of a merger? |
| Down the years, the battle between the Daily News and Post has never been less than fierce and sometimes very bitter indeed. | Down the years, the battle between the Daily News and Post has never been less than fierce and sometimes very bitter indeed. |
| But close observers of the tabloids have noted of late what some believe is a truce between the rivals. They have stopped being so critical of each other. | But close observers of the tabloids have noted of late what some believe is a truce between the rivals. They have stopped being so critical of each other. |
| One commentator told me: "The Post used to be absolutely relentless in its criticism of any mistake made by the the News. Now, there's not a word, particularly in the Post's media diary." | One commentator told me: "The Post used to be absolutely relentless in its criticism of any mistake made by the the News. Now, there's not a word, particularly in the Post's media diary." |
| He argues that there appears to be some kind of understanding between the News's owner, Mort Zuckerman, and Murdoch. Many observers believe there is either a truce to preserve the industry or perhaps future plans to form some kind of joint operating agreement and, even more amazingly, a merger. | He argues that there appears to be some kind of understanding between the News's owner, Mort Zuckerman, and Murdoch. Many observers believe there is either a truce to preserve the industry or perhaps future plans to form some kind of joint operating agreement and, even more amazingly, a merger. |
| The Daily News, owned since 1993 by Zuckerman, a real estate tycoon, is the fifth most widely read newspaper in the United States. But its combined print and digital average weekday circulation slipped 11% year-on-year to 516,165 during the six-month period between October and March, according to data released last week by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). | The Daily News, owned since 1993 by Zuckerman, a real estate tycoon, is the fifth most widely read newspaper in the United States. But its combined print and digital average weekday circulation slipped 11% year-on-year to 516,165 during the six-month period between October and March, according to data released last week by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). |
| The Post, owned by News Corp since Rupert Murdoch reacquired it in 1993, is the sixth most widely read paper in the US. Like the Daily News, its latest AAM-audited combined print and digital average weekday circulation fell 9.9% year-on-year to 500,521. Print copies totalled 299,950. | The Post, owned by News Corp since Rupert Murdoch reacquired it in 1993, is the sixth most widely read paper in the US. Like the Daily News, its latest AAM-audited combined print and digital average weekday circulation fell 9.9% year-on-year to 500,521. Print copies totalled 299,950. |
| Big names are among the leavers at the News | Big names are among the leavers at the News |
| Among the people selected to receive "pink slips" at the News were two high-profile veteran columnists, Albor Ruiz and Joanna Molloy. | Among the people selected to receive "pink slips" at the News were two high-profile veteran columnists, Albor Ruiz and Joanna Molloy. |
| Molloy's termination was said to be "particularly shocking" by media writer Joe Pompeo, because she is regarded as the most famous writer at the paper. | Molloy's termination was said to be "particularly shocking" by media writer Joe Pompeo, because she is regarded as the most famous writer at the paper. |
| He reports that just last month she was on TV extolling the virtues of the Daily News's gun control crusade under Myler's editorship. | He reports that just last month she was on TV extolling the virtues of the Daily News's gun control crusade under Myler's editorship. |
| And a former Daily Mirror colleague of mine, Steve Lynas, stepped down a couple of weeks ago. As senior vice president of digital, he helped to create the paper's website and increased traffic by a factor of 10. | |
| Sources: Capital New York (1) (2) (3) (4) /New York Observer The Memos: here | Sources: Capital New York (1) (2) (3) (4) /New York Observer The Memos: here |