Yet more layoffs in Tampa

Another round of layoffs has begun this morning at the Tampa Tribune, with telephone calls (!) to at least a half-dozen newsroom employees starting at 7 a.m. According to multiple sources, there's speculation that this round -- expected to last through tomorrow -- will encompass more than 100 employees total, including 30 from the newsroom. There's also a rumor floating around that all copy desk functions will be centralized at Media General headquarters in Richmond, Va. There's no official word yet, other than what I'm hearing from some (now former) Tribune employees. More updates to follow.

My heart goes out to all of them.

P.S. -- Phone calls? Can you get more heartless than that? Or is the volume such that you can't fit the casualties into the H.R. office? Either way ...


UPDATE, 9:20 a.m.: Hearing of at least four layoffs from the online division, including the department head. If they're cutting into the online division, you can bet it's going to be massive and ugly today.

UPDATE, 9:35 a.m.: According to a story posted by TBO.com (and pasted below), the layoffs will total 165 from the Tampa operations. It's not known how many will be from the newsroom. http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2011/dec/12/165-layoffs-under-way-at-tampa-tribune-sister-pape-ar-333846/

UPDATE, 10:15 a.m.: At least three from Sports ... two three reporters. , one desker. I won't share names unless they reach out first.

UPDATE, 10:30 a.m.: Now at least four from Sports ... three reporters, one desker.

UPDATE, 12:45 p.m.: By my count, today's newsroom toll has reached approximately 20. Additional cuts are expected tomorrow. Most of the cutbacks are from the bureaus -- or what's left of them after many closures in 2009. Many of the remaining journalists apparently will be dispatched into the community to work as "mojos" (mobile journalists). The story linked above has updated, by the way.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

Jesus.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

MG/Tampa has been recruiting a lead designer and a copy desk chief to oversee the hub stuff. Now that's going to Richmond?

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

It's just a rumor, and at this point apparently unfounded.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

So are they talking moving all of the Tampa desk operations to Richmond or all company-wide desk operations? There's a huge CEC for the community papers in Lynchburg, and another in Hickory.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

It's unclear. But, again, it's just some rumblings that I and others have been hearing ... doesn't mean they're true. The news story that TBO posted doesn't mention moving jobs anywhere, and I'm thinking this bit of news would have been in the story if something were imminent.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

Yeah, that would be a huge reversal. I know they're recruiting for those two spots, and I have friends who work on that desk.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

Just MG's way of saying Merry Christmas to the people it no longer values -- its (former) employees.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

No, no, it says right there in the release that they're valued...

Best of luck to all my former comrades down there. Bad, bad day.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

I've been out of the business three years now and every time I see one of these threads, I get a huge pit in my stomach.

There was a huge round of buyouts in Denver last week as well.

It's awful, awful stuff...

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Yet more layoffs in Tampa

At least three in sports....