By: E&P Staff Less than two months after acquiring its third Indiana newspaper, Paxton Media Group fired as many as half its staffers, a nearby newspaper reported today.
According to the report, the six-day, afternoon Herald-Argus, in LaPorte - in the county of the same name, where Paxton already owns The News Dispatch, a seven-day, 10,854-circulation morning paper in Michigan City - will lose 30 to 40 employees.
Herald-Argus managers could not be reached immediately to confirm the report.
An unidentified source told the Post Tribune -- the Sun-Times Media Group daily in nearby Lake County -- that Herald-Argus prepress, pressroom and post-press workers were informed yesterday that they will be out of work at the end of the month, when production transfers to Paxton's Herald-Palladium, in St. Joseph, Mich., a larger evening paper (21,324-circulation) with a larger press.
Post-Tribune staff writer Tom Wyatt also reported that four sales assistants, a photographer and wire editor were laid off last week.
The Herald-Argus was acquired for an undisclosed price from Small Newspapers Group on Oct. 1, giving the Paducah, Ky., company 11 newspapers in the state.
Wire editor and 22-year Herald-Argus veteran Julie Kessler received her termination notice by certified mail while on sick leave following surgery. Kessler told the Post-Tribune that her coworkers had been assured their paper's sale would have little effect on production and staffing. She said severance includes 12 weeks' pay.
Kessler also said Paxton was telling Herald-Argus and News-Dispatch editorial staffs to refrain from publicizing details of the cutbacks.
Wyatt quotes Kessler saying, "We print information about other companies [experiencing cutbacks]. However, the decision was made that wouldn't happen this time."
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