Possible Buyouts at 'The Sun'

By: E&P Staff The Sun in Baltimore could be the next paper to undergo belt tightening. Michael Hill, a reporter with the paper and unit chair of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, confirmed that Sun management scheduled a meeting with the guild on Friday Nov. 11 presumably to discuss company-wide buyout packages.

A spokesman with the Sun declined to comment.

There have been rumors for the past week that the paper is preparing for a major budget cut. The Baltimore City Paper reported that managing editors were told cuts were coming after a meeting last week with Editor Tim Franklin. "'I'm not ruling [buyouts] out and I'm not ruling them in,'" Franklin told the City Paper.

The Sun most recently put buyouts on the table in June 2004.

If the paper offers buyouts and not enough are taken, the paper will most likely resort to layoffs. Under the guild contract, layoffs are based on seniority.