Memphis Commercial Appeal layoffs

Including three in photography, the entertainment editor and sports writer Phil Stukenborg:

UPDATE (Some Names Added): More Layoffs Hit The Commercial Appeal

 

Layoffs in Nashville and Knoxville, too

 

Interesting that Memphis laid off two digital producers and one digital strategist. Guess their digital side of things hasn't proven worth the expense. Of course, everyone believes news should be free, especially digital news. Hard to get people to pay for it.

 

This is likely just the start of the Journal Media Group consolidation, which wasn't allowed to start until a year after the acquisitions were finalized.

Gannett Slashes Staffs at Tennessee Papers

 

I was kind of surprised by this, April 8 is the one year anniversary of the JMG deal... guess they wanted to get it in before the end of the quarter. Maybe they'll get fatter bonuses for this!!

 

Level-set?

 

Could be that their digital folks just weren't hacking it. Not that it's the only measure of the competency of a digital staff, but their Facebook likes are in the toilet, way below what they should be and their feed shows little strategy. Maybe Nashville is going to handle them? Either way, tough day.

 

Wouldn't think there would be any reductions in newsstand days, at least in the three top markets of Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. Then again, who knows?

 

I think reduction in publishing frequency will be tested in Louisana and Mississippi before it is rolled out over the remainder of the chain.

 

What a generous read.

If you look at the list of folks who got cut, there's three more digital producers on the list, so six total. One explanation could be that a whole bunch of folks were shoehorned into those roles in the last transition. But more likely, I'd bet they're either merging digital production into one centralized hub or making that work some kind of free-for-all where reporters manage their own stuff/post to facebook/etc. Knowing Gannett, that last option feels likely.

 

Hate to hear about Phil Stukenborg. He's been there more than 30 years and is a really good guy.