Orlando newspaper lays off 21 employees

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 11/30/05 | Christopher Boyd

[schaketo]

The Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday laid off 21 employees throughout the company as it joined other U.S. newspapers struggling to cope with declining circulation and rising costs.

In addition to the layoffs, 33 vacant positions won't be filled.

Tribune Co. owns the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Newspapers owned by the New York Times Co. and Knight Ridder Inc. also have announced plans to cut jobs.

"We have tried to make changes that will allow us to cut costs," Orlando Sentinel Publisher Kathleen Waltz said. "We simply need to reset our cost structure going forward."

Before the layoffs, the newspaper had about 1,300 employees.

Waltz said newspapers are repositioning themselves as society increasingly turns to the Internet and other forms of media for information.

Newspapers are grappling with two decades of circulation declines that have accelerated in recent years. During the six months that ended in September, daily newspapers' weekday circulation dropped an average of 2.65 percent. The Orlando newspaper's fell 11.1 percent, mostly as the result of a decision to cut back on its distribution to hotel rooms.

Circulation declines are only part of the industry's problem. Newspapers also have lost advertising revenue to the Internet -- and worry that trend is irreversible, though they also have their own growing Web presences.

[Dark Skies]

Whadda shame! :-)

[bert]

This thread is added to the now fairly long list of newspaper layoffs.

If this were in any other industry it would be described as a catastrophe. The uncollected union dues will result in a deterioriaon of Union funding for political persuasion.

[magua]

MSM can give us positive news.

[Brilliant]

Affectionately known as "The Orlando Slantinel."

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Didn't the Soviet mouthpiece fold when the Soviet Union collapsed?

Here it's happening in reverse.....with the same outcome...I hope.....

the demise of the Socialist Democrat Party!!

[Issaquahking]

Another "kill" on slowing the left down! Funny how most conservative news outlets are doing quite well.


Dear left wing media,

Still stuck on stupid?

[RayChuang88]

We're waiting for someone to post the Schadenfreude graphic.

[jjmcgo]

Journalists lied.
Newspapers died.

[GOPJ]

Wow!

[Alter Kaker]

Didn't the Soviet mouthpiece fold when the Soviet Union collapsed?

Not sure what you mean, but no. Itar-Tass is still around. Komsomolskaya Pravda folded --- first when Yeltsin shut it down, and then again when Putin shut down a reincarnated version, but that was for political reasons, not lack of revenue (fwiw, a new version appears to be in circulation at www.kp.ru). And Izvestia remains one of the leading national newspapers.