'Cincinnati Enquirer' Lays Off 'CinWeekly' Staff

By: E&P Staff The Cincinnati Enquirer has reportedly laid off the staff of its youth-centric publication, CinWeekly.

The Business Courier of Cincinnati is reporting that the publication's staff was laid off Wednesday afternoon, relying on Twitter messages and e-mails from Enquirer staff. There has been no official announcement from The Enquirer about layoffs or whether the paper will continue publishing CinWeekly.

Calls made to CinWeekly staffers by E&P were not answered.

Speaking to E&P?s Mark Fitzgerald, John Fox, co-publisher and editor of rival alt-weekly Cincinnati CityBeat said, ?Over the last few days, they?ve been re-stickering the outdoor plastic boxes with Metromix labels. In Nashville and Indianapolis, [Gannett] has already switched over their faux alternatives to Metromix. So I?m sure starting next week there will be something in the boxes. It?s not the end of a weekly publication [from the Enquirer], but it seems to be the end of CinWeekly.? Metromix is an arts and entertainment listing published by Tribune Co.

Gannett Co., the parent company of The Enquirer and CinWeekly announced July 2 that it would lay off 1,400 employees in its community publishing division. According to an Enquirer memo, the paper would cut 100 of its employees.

CinWeekly was founded in 2003 as a free arts and entertainment tabloid aimed at readers in their 20s and 30s. It was distributed throughout the Greater Cincinnati area via newsboxes and other venues.