Media General to Close D.C. Bureau, Lay Off Six

By: E&P Staff Media General is shuttering its Washington D.C. bureau ending a 30-year run, the Richmond-Va.-based company announced today.

The bureau and its Web site mgwashington.com will close on March 27.

The six journalists based in the bureau have been offered severance packages.

Graham Woodlief, president of Media General's publishing division, said in a statement: "We very much regret having to take this step. However as the economy continues to contract, and businesses and consumers continue to reduce spending, our advertising revenues have been adversely affected at unprecedented levels. While the publishing division reduced expenses in 2008 by 8%, excluding severance, we must continue to find ways to align our costs with the available revenue."

The bureau provided stories to the company's newspapers and TV stations. It was recently re-organized to emphasize a Web-first approach.

"I thank Marsha Mercer and her team for their fine work and dedication, and I salute all the excellent journalists who have worked in the bureau over the years," Woodlief said. "The decision to close our bureau is very difficult, and parting with these valued journalists is even more painful in light of the strong contributions they have made to our communities."