By: Philadelphia's largest newspaper could lose as much as one-third of its newsroom jobs as its new owner grapples with reduced advertising revenue and falling circulation, the paper's managing editor said.
Anne Gordon, managing editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, said Monday that she told the paper's department heads last week to be prepared for as many as 150 people to be laid off. The paper has 425 newsroom jobs, including 175 reporters.
But Jay Devine, spokesman for new owner Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC, dismissed the 150-layoff figure in an e-mail as "rumors."
Henry Holcomb, president of the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia, said Philadelphia Media Holdings hasn't mentioned a specific number of layoffs during labor talks. He said the figure is "so extreme and comes after so many cuts, it has to be a worst-case scenario."
Holcomb, who is also a reporter for the Inquirer, said management is exploring several scenarios with varying numbers of job cuts. The current contract expired on Oct. 31, but talks have been extended until the end of the month, and the two sides are to meet again Tuesday.
The union has been negotiating with management to break an impasse over issues such as job cuts, a pension freeze, the elimination of seniority status for layoffs and merger of the editorial departments of the Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.
The Inquirer and its reporters have won a total of 18 Pulitzer Prizes.
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