Arkansas Business’ Kyle Massey reports another round of layoffs at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. 12 to 15 people will be terminated, others will move to part-time status.
Among those affected is former Deputy Editor Frank Fellone, who became a reporter last summer. He says he’ll still continue to write a weekly column on traffic issues. Also: Reporter and Paper Trails columnist Linda Haymes said on Facebook that she got a pink slip. Her column may continue on a contract basis, she said on her Facebook page.
[Newspaper President Lynn] Hamilton said the cuts would touch “nearly every department,” adding that the paper, owned by privately held Wehco Media Inc., has been leaving some jobs unfilled when staff members leave voluntarily. The cuts came on the heels of eight layoffs in January.
“The situation of newspapers is no surprise to anybody,” he told Arkansas Business. “To remain profitable we have to adjust our expenses accordingly.”
When we reported on eight layoffs at the paper in January, Hamilton had said attrition had not been enough to make adjustments for the industrywide decline in ad revenue, but he said he was hopeful a bottom would be reached when things would level out. Not yet.
Both Fellone, 66, who’d been working part-time since July, and Haymes spoke warmly of their colleagues and time at the paper.
“But I want to say I’ve been enormously fortunate in my newspaper career,” Fellone concluded. “I’ve done a lot, loved every minute of it, and feel blessed. I’d also like to say that I have been treated at the Democrat-Gazette for the past 38 years with nothing but kindness, generosity and professionalism.”