Newsday publisher's layoffs memo (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

From: Knight, T. P. Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 3:15 PM To: Communications, Newsday Subject: Today's Actions

Dear fellow Newsday employee, As I informed you a few weeks ago, we have been assessing our business in light of our company strategies and the current revenue environment. Today we initiated job reduction actions across the company. These actions included notifying employees that we are eliminating their positions and posting notices in the editorial, transportation and pressroom bargaining units to eliminate positions in accordance with the labor contracts. About 120 employees are affected. Some individuals will leave today, while others will stay through the end of March. These difficult actions are based on our urgent need to focus on the things that drive audience and revenue growth, while we manage through a soft advertising revenue environment that requires us to significantly reduce costs.

Our vision for Newsday is to grow through innovation and market responsiveness, and my foremost responsibility is to ensure that we are a healthy organization equipped and motivated to succeed in this rapidly changing and challenging marketplace. Though we all know we will not grow by cutting, we have no choice but to respond to the revenue decline and make cost adjustments now. I have reported on recent organizational changes and other new developments in our business that I expect will help us get past this difficult time and ultimately achieve the sustained growth we all desire.

I'm convinced our success will come from learning to continually reinvent ourselves, delivering to our audiences and advertising customers the news, information and connectivity they desire, where, when and in the format they want. Over the next few weeks, I will continue to outline our near-term and long-term plans and the role each of you needs to play going forward.

Today is the last day at Newsday for some of our colleagues, and we wish them well and thank them for their service. As always, you have my continued thanks for your commitment to the future of our business.

An update with Keith J. Kelly’s unmatched prose...

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02292008/business/for_whom_zell_tolls_99852.htm?page=0

FOR WHOM ZELL TOLLS

By KEITH J. KELLY

February 29, 2008 — NEW Tribune Co.owner Sam Zell yesterday struck Newsday with a vengeance, whacking 120 jobs, including 25 unionized editorial people in the newsroom and about 10 top editors, including the paper’s entire national desk.

The cost-cutting moves are at least the sixth major downsizing at the paper since it closed its New York Newsday edition in 1995.

The four-person national desk was brought into the office of Managing Editor Debbie Henley on Tuesday was told that the desk was being abolished and that they had until noon on Wednesday to a accept a “voluntary” buyout or be faced with a potential axing.

Carol Conyne, a 32-year veteran, Mark Toor a 28-year veteran, and Stacie Walker, a 15-year veteran - and all deputy national editors - decided to accept the buyout.

Not yet determined is the role of Sarah Crichton, the assistant national/foreign editor who is still covered by the union contract.

Insiders said they expect the national desk to be replaced with a new “political desk” that will cover everything out of the local town boards in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The two-person Albany bureau and the three-person Washington bureau weren’t affected by the cuts.

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