Staff cuts as two Florida papers merge

Another bleak day for journalism and in Florida.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003845883

 

NYT Co. Newsroom Merge in Florida Leads to Staff Cuts

By E&P Staff

Published: September 04, 2008 11:25 AM ET

NEW YORK The Gainesville Sun and Ocala Star-Banner, two New York Times Co. newspapers in Florida that announced last month that they will share resources, will also be shedding some staffers.

The Gainesville Sun reports that 22 news positions will be eliminated, and as many as 15 Ocala news staffers will help staff a joint news and copy desk operation in Gainesville.

Both papers are in the process of undergoing redesigns. They plan to share copy desks, design, layouts, and pagination.

Gainesville is about 50 miles north of Ocala. Both papers have roughly the same average daily circulation, with the Sun at 44,658 and the Star-Banner at 45,425.

 

Damn.
22 newsroomers gone from a 45K?
That's got to be a terribly high percentage of the total.

 

Gainesville loses 22 and gains 15 from Ocala is the way I read it.

So it's a lose-lose situation. Or addition by subtraction. Whatever.

 

But both papers are undergoing redesign.

All is well!