New York Times To Slash Newsroom Staff

The New York Times announced today that it will cut 100 newsroom jobs—about 8 percent of the total—by year's end. In a memo to the news room, executive editor Bill Keller said, "Like you, I yearn for the day when we can do our jobs without looking over our shoulders for economic thunderstorms." Employees already took a 5 percent pay cut for most of this year, which was intended to avoid layoffs.

The Times’s news department peaked at more than 1,330 employees before the last round of cuts; the department currently employs 1,250, nearly double the number employed in newsrooms at other major American newspapers.

Like most other print media outlets, the paper of record has suffered a massive drop in ad revenue, as a drying trickle of ad dollars is increasingly siphoned off by online media. The newsroom cut was first reported by the New York Times, then laboriously copied and pasted here on Gothamist.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on October 19, 2009 5:29 PM

Comments [rss]

S.K.

Who says the Times is a "propaganda machine for the Bush Administration and the Israeli government?"

Quite he opposite, the Times never met a Democrat it didn't like. Just this week, it endorsed scandal-plagued Jon Corzine.

As for Israel, ask any Jewish settler about the Times, and they would tell you that the paper only cares about discrediting the settlements.

The Times needs to be more relevant to the average New Yorker. Bring back the Metro section. Cover every borough. Publish more letters from readers. Have a comics section, or at least some political cartoons.

Like I said...

Or better yet - just bring back the New York Sun. Best paper the city ever had! No smut like the Post, more "worldly" than the News, and much smaller than the Times. It did have a Jewish, pro-Israel bend at times, but it was a well balanced paper. Human stories like some crime against a person is sad and keeps readers reading - but the Sun always had real news. Short and sweet. Just right for busy New Yorkers... oh well.

Steven

Times is way too big in its print edition. Why do they need to waste so much ink and paper? Put the big stories in the paper and the rest online.

NannyState

I just wish they'd pull everything off the wires and print Sunday coupons...like a regular paper.

gimme2

hey Ryan McLendon, NY Times has a job opening for you so you can start paying back the 95,000!

Chillinoncentral

Hopefully the executives really do know what staff and jobs they no longer need, and focus on strengthening staff in areas that need more resources. Very often, these wide staff cuts are made in the wrong places.

dgeee

The Times is no longer relevant as a paper of record since it became a propaganda machine for the Bush Administration and the Israeli government.