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Thursday, December 8, 2011

City / Media Seattle Times Staffers Told to Expect More Cuts

Posted by Eli Sanders on Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 1:16 PM

In addition to being told yesterday that 20 people are being laid off company-wide (including five newsroom employees), Seattle Times staffers were also advised to expect the loss of 10 to 12 more employees in the coming year—and that it may not be possible to make all of those cuts through attrition.

“The mood is obviously shitty," said one Times employee, reached by phone earlier today. "Because I think we had hoped that this was behind us. It’s a much smaller newsroom, and I think everybody was hoping that we weren’t going to deal with another round of layoffs.”

Times spokesperson Jill Mackie told me earlier that "none of the layoffs in the newsroom involve on-the-street reporters or photographers.” The Times employee I spoke with said the newsroom layoffs involve two photo editors. UPDATE: Another Times employee told me that the other three laid off newsroom employees are a sports editor and two clerical staff.

Comments (12) RSS

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Wonder how big a cut Frank and Ryan took. You know, in solidarity with the surplus labor units who were sucking too much money off their bottom line.

Posted by maddogm13 on December 8, 2011 at 1:26 PM

Maybe if they reported more local news and stopped dissing actual Seattle values so often?

Posted by Will in Seattle

on December 8, 2011 at 1:26 PM

The ghost of the P-I points and laughs.

Posted by merry on December 8, 2011 at 1:44 PM

Please let Joni Balter be one of the cuts.

Posted by seatackled on December 8, 2011 at 1:48 PM

The Seattle Times Company is a poster child for the ineffectiveness of nepotism.

Posted by DOUG.

on December 8, 2011 at 3:49 PM

There just isn't that much revenue from Hoverrounds and Dentucream or Depends to go around.

Posted by Vince on December 8, 2011 at 3:51 PM

The Times is still publishing? Why?

Posted by Geni on December 8, 2011 at 4:00 PM

(That being said, I have extreme sympathy for the working folks who are likely to lose their jobs, but I hate Frank Blethen and I hate that nasty rag.)

Posted by Geni on December 8, 2011 at 4:01 PM

The Seattle Times can die and fall into Elliot Bay for all I care since they blocked my comment posting account.

The Seattle PI, surprisingly, seems to be coming alive as an e-Site...they use Facebook for (some) comments.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on December 8, 2011 at 5:06 PM

They thought lay-offs were behind them? At The Times?

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball on December 8, 2011 at 8:22 PM

The Seattle Times will turn into the Bellingham Herald...

Posted by orino

on December 8, 2011 at 9:14 PM

Gee, "Supreme Ruler Of The Universe," I wonder why your comments got blocked by The Times. The people who get blocked tend to be crazy lunatics who spew crap.
But that wouldn't apply to you, would it, "Supreme Ruler Of The Universe?"

Posted by "Supreme Ruler:" Another Pathetic Guy Typing Alone on December 8, 2011 at 11:11 PM