Star-Ledger Reduces Newsroom Staff

The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, may be indicative of a growing trend in the newspaper industry. The newsroom staff will be reduced almost by half:

“…The number of buyouts accepted outside the newsroom was not immediately known. The newspaper had sought at least 200 total, out of 750 full-time, nonunion workers, and received more than enough applications.

Two unions agreed to another 120 buyouts combined.”

link: Star-Ledger cuts newsroom staff by nearly half

The newspaper may use more stories off news services such as Associated Press. Freelance writers may have more work. However, papers like the Star-Ledger struggle to be profitable, keep their advertising base and maintain the quality of its local news. For the present, the local news in newspapers still may out-perform the internet. That may be the value added advantage that remains with the newspapers as they struggle to maintain advertising and circulation numbers.

Catherine Forsythe