Gawker
About an hour ago, New York Times staffers received a holiday gift from executive editor Bill Keller—an announcement of layoffs! The cuts will come from the newsroom "for the first time in recent memory," according to the memo. A dozen "support positions" will be eliminated from the newsroom, along with "a number" of clerical administrative jobs; next year, several admin management positions will be cut. The Times apparently put a hiring freeze into place several weeks ago, and "except for those jobs that are critically important to our future ambitions, we intend to enforce it," Keller writes. Full memo after the jump.
—-—-—-- Forwarded message —-—-—--
From: Ellen Kavier
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:26:14 -0500
Subject: [NYT Newsroom] Message from Bill Keller
To: newsroom@ahot.nytimes.com
To the staff:
Despite growing pressure on the newsroom budget, The Times has continued to
turn out great journalism, whether it's covering Iraq, New York City or the
most crowded Presidential campaign in memory. We've been able to do this,
in part, because each of you has helped us save money by finding new and
more efficient ways to do what we need to do. That has enabled us to avoid
the kind of drastic staff cutbacks other news organizations have endured.
Jill, John and I greatly appreciate everything you have done.
As we approach 2008, it is clear that the newsroom is going to have to do
even more to tighten spending, and to help the publisher and the Times
Company meet the difficult financial challenges facing our industry. While
we are committed to retaining our competitive muscle, we will be facing
some tough choices about where to save. That is why I must tell you that
there are going to be layoffs in the newsroom, for the first time in recent
memory. The people who are affected are not journalists, but that does not
make this news any easier to share.
Today we notified the Newspaper Guild that about a dozen support positions
within the newspaper are being eliminated. We will, for example, be
closing the Recording Room as well as trimming a number of clerical and
secretarial jobs. The people in those jobs will receive the severance they
are entitled under the Guild contract.
During 2008, we also expect to eliminate a few management jobs in
administrative areas.
This staff reduction does not include any journalists, nor any widespread
buyouts, as has happened in the past. But as many of you know, we put into
place a hiring freeze several weeks ago, and except for those jobs that are
critically important to our future ambitions, we intend to enforce it. As
journalists resign or retire from the Company next year, we will be trying to fill their
positions internally.
As we move into 2008, we will be rethinking coverage priorities and how we
use our space and our people, but always in ways that preserve what The
Times does best. In the future, as in the past few months while these
matters were under review, we have worked closely with our partners on the
business side, with a single shared ambition: to seek cutbacks and
reductions that are as strategically focused as possible, and do nothing to
damage our core journalism.
Bill
Comments
Can't they just save $ by firing Maureen Dowd and David Brooks?
They've trained the mice how to type and file and work for less.
"Fill their positions internally" = more ways the NYT is like Craigslist casual encounters.
Fortunately, it's not like this is a critical time for American journalism.
Anyway, I hope someone higher up has to wait a few months before they get a gold-plated shark tank bar installed right next to the pool, at least.
@SinisterRouge: And Frank Rich.
They buried the lede.
@TheHonJudgeSmails: ...and his dopey wife.
It's better than the lump of coal the NY Times gave ME for Christmas.
All the company layoff announcements are coming at such an opportune time this year. Nothing says relaxing over the holidays like worrying about losing your job.
What I find funny is that the email came from Ellen Kavier, Keller's personal secretary. Clearly HER job's not in jeopardy...
Also...can he not send emails himself?
@SinisterRouge, @TheHonJudgeSmails: Throw in Krugman and Bob Herbert and you have a deal. The editorial page wouldn't even have to change: just re-run columns from the archives with new, generic titles. Ex: Men are Awful, Lying Sacks of Shit, by Maureen Dowd, and An Apology for Whatever the Administration Is Doing That's Bad, by David Brooks.
Nice timing. Merry Christmas -- and here is your pink slip!
@George Walter Vincent Smith: So they don't have to pay an X-mas bonus
I love how they mention eighty times that it's not the journalists that are being laid off. I know it was sent to the newsroom, but still. "We're laying people off right before Christmas, but it's only the little people whom no one notices! You guys are safe! Pass the nog!"
@PimpMyCouch: It's to encourage the reporters to comfort the afflicted. You know, with a warm handshake or hug or some shit.
Pfft, lay-offs. At least "Online Journalism" is still a viable option--especially at $4.16 an hour! Whew! Now to get back to my side-gig at Staples.
@TheHonJudgeSmails: Yes! Agreed.
@Wrath of Farrakhan: Gotta keep Krugman. I love his liberal nerdy bearded ass.
@grandmoffbastard: or by giving them a Salvation Army plastic mesh stocking-empty
Well there is no place like home (in your pajamas, at 1:30 PM, with no food in the kitchen, and the electricity turned off) for the holidays.
This is just the beginning of that, what was it, $15 million or so in layoffs they've got planned for the next quarter:
[gawker.com]
What's interesting is that these News Administration folks really serve as the liaisons between the business side and the newsroom. They're the ones who run the cheesy in house newsletter, plan company wide events, and write memos to the newsroom about cost cutting. Basically, they're going to have to administer their own firings. For example, Ellen, who sent around this email about secretaries and "support staff" getting pink slips is Keller's personal secretary.
Who will they have left to spin the next round of layoffs?
Also, The only back end newsroom hiring they've done recently has been to get people to help improve the web site. Freezes and firings are going to hit them right in the Nets. I'd say that's a pretty big deal, because aside from the ad revenue for the glossies, growing online revenue is supposed to be the lone bright spot in their financials right?
@LolCait: Are the mice the special Christmas antlered breed?
Take a $10,000 tree for yourself on the way out.
@SinisterRouge: Yes, please fire Dowd. The only thing stopping me from voting for Clinton is the thought of reading Dowd's Clinton bile for four years.
@SinisterRouge: Is it the John Bates Clark medal that does it for you?
It's not like the Times has a new mortgage or anything!
@supremefiend: I heard somewhere that The New York Times is just a fancy blog...
@SinisterRouge: This is an historic day, as I have now agreed with both you AND TammyFay on separate posts.
ALSO: This person is my new nemesis [gawker.com]
@tammyfey: SORRY! I meant TammyFey
@grandmoffbastard: Or some rum eggnog? Or by setting a small fire in their ex-boss' office?
PS- I love how when Gawker broke the layoffs story a month ago the Times PR bots tried to act like the $14-16 million in staff cuts was just business as usual...
[gawker.com]
And now, like a month later, there are "layoffs in the newsroom, for the first time in recent
memory."
Nothing that comes out of the mouths of those spokespeople has any credibility whatsoever.
@tammyfey: You know, when I heard they were building a new building, I thought, "WHY???" I mean, it's no secret that newspapers are going in the shitter, and the Times is no exception. I understand you might be a little cramped or rodent infested, but seriously, you don't buy a new house when you're about to go on unemployment.
I used to work at a mid-market paper and while the company didn't lay people off, they did reduce our raise percentage to pretty much non-existent. We had a publisher's lunch where the publisher got up and told us this news, along with the fact that we were starting an indefinite hiring freeze. Then the lunch entertainment was one of the ad reps singing "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday." No shit.
@TheHonJudgeSmails: Tionna?
@PimpMyCouch: I don't know if anyone has hear this, but those offices were designed by Renzo Piano.
@BalknChain: The Times reporters are a bunch of liberal troop-haters who aren't going to have anything to do with any kind of army, thank you very much! Also, they don't really like to have contact with poor people.
@Wrath of Farrakhan: Definitely. Mmmm...nerd with a super-nerdy award. Now I'm just waiting for the Nobel.
@TheHonJudgeSmails: Tionna?!
@grandmoffbastard: hah! Also I am now following you, so don't turn around quickly..
@DorothyZbornak: Also, I don't know if anyone has heard this, but that new building was designed by Renzo Piano.
@grandmoffbastard: Heard, you idiot.
@Bentpost: She's like that old cougar that just won't put it away. And I want to punch her through the ink when I read "W."
@BalknChain: Heavens, no! Drat.
Not Tionna. Some commenter named WestVillageGirl [gawker.com] who wants me head on a plate because she has a saggy labia.
@TheHonJudgeSmails: I knew I should have held on to that front row seat.
The New York Times still says secretarial?
@BalknChain: I'm glad you warned me. The last time someone didn't tell me he was following me, I karate'd him in the nuts so hard. It's just instinct.
@TheHonJudgeSmails: Aah, I see. I poked at you a bit for the tunnel comment (lol), but you my friend have a Jezebel after you.
The Times is unfortunately a Porto-San. By now it's obvious that you can't believe anything they say. It's a dysfunctional piece of fish wrapping, the journalistic equivalent of the Knicks or the Jets. Good riddance to the whole mess
@BalknChain: @Conbon: @SinisterRouge: This link should work [gawker.com] .
Should I prepare to be peppered with used tampons on my next trip down Avenue A?
@TheHonJudgeSmails: I dunno, but let me know if it works, 'cause I've paid good money for that in the past.
@TheHonJudgeSmails: Nope, still bringing up Tionna. She will seriously mess you up too, so you better stop that.
@grandmoffbastard: Finding them on me would pose a problem.
@grandmoffbastard: Apparently, feminist-baiting works better than Ben Franklin.
@SinisterRouge:
Exactly. Everyone can go except for Krugman.
I hope the "little people" enjoyed those spectacular views that were touted in the web feature on the new building.
None of the windows open, right?