Further tightening its belt, Ledger-Enquirer Publisher Valerie Canepa said Friday the newspaper is laying off two mid-level managers and will not fill three full-time open positions.
The Ledger-Enquirer, which dates to 1828, currently has 162 full-time equivalent employees — down nearly 14 percent, or 26 staffers, from a year ago.
The newspaper, owned by Sacramento, Calif.-based The McClatchy Company, has used employee buyouts, layoffs, a wage freeze and pay cuts over the last 16 months to manage through the economic downturn. Most employees are now taking weeklong unpaid furloughs.
“With 2009 coming to a close, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the length and depth of the recession will require expense containment,” Canepa said in an e-mail to employees. “We have, as you are painfully aware, cut costs in all departments and put the Page Building up for sale.”
The R.W. Page Building is the 6-story office tower adjacent to the printing plant/distribution center and the wing that houses the newsroom, advertising and other departments.
The two management cuts will be in the Ledger-Enquirer’s finance and circulation departments. The affected staffers will depart Nov. 20, Canepa wrote in her e-mail. They will receive severance pay.
“I know that these announcements are especially tough because they mean saying goodbye to friends,” Canepa wrote. “However, we must stay focused on navigating through this prolonged recession and responsibly managing this 180-year-old newspaper.”
The publisher said no further staffing cuts are planned.
“This should get us to where we need to be starting the year,” she said.
The publisher also pointed out in her e-mail that the Ledger-Enquirer recently asked Columbus Consolidated Government for a temporary emergency tax break, but was rebuffed, with the city saying it needs the revenue.
She said in an interview that the company plans to pursue the matter further.
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