By: Joe Strupp Citing "continued pressure to reduce costs," The Sacramento Bee announced it had reduced its workforce by an additional 7% through buyouts Wednesday.
A Bee story Thursday reported 87 full- and part-time employees had accepted a buyout offer that followed a previous round of layoffs and attrition in June that cut staff by 8%. The latest buyouts included 23 newsroom staffers.
"It wasn't clear whether that's the end of the staff cuts," the story said. "At the time buyouts were offered, Publisher and President Cheryl Dell said more layoffs were possible if there weren't enough takers. She said on Wednesday the paper won't know for a couple of weeks if the buyouts did the trick."
Added Dell, "I know there's anxiety with not having an answer today."
The Bee story noted that the "newspaper industry has been hobbled by the economic slump and competition from the Internet, prompting layoffs at almost every chain."
It also added that revenue had dropped 15% at The Bee's owners, The McClatchy Co, this year. In addition, advertising had fallen 22% at McClatchy's California newspapers.
The Bee then addressed the issue of McClatchy Chairman and CEO Gary Pruitt's future, citing his resignation last Friday as a co-trustee of four trusts that control McClatchy family stock. "Pruitt sharply denied a Wall Street Journal column Wednesday suggesting that his resignation was a first step toward a financial restructuring of the company," the story said.
"The company is working hard to navigate this period of transition in our industry, and we are continuing to make good progress on a number of fronts," Pruitt said in the story. "I remain confident of McClatchy's future success."
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