By: Jennifer Saba Today's Local News, a free paper from The San Diego Union-Tribune, made some radical changes to its stuff, cutting roughly half of its positions.
In a note to readers, the Union-Tribune said 26 jobs will be eliminated at Today's Local News, effective Oct. 4. To fill in the gap, the free paper will draw upon reporters and editors at the Union-Tribune.
Today's Local News Publisher Linda Hastings said by phone this afternoon that The Copley Press, owner of the papers, has no intentions of shuttering the freebie. "As a matter of fact, we're strengthening the product but consolidating the community news efforts between Today's Local News and the Union-Tribune," she said. "A lot of reporters were covering the same beat."
The free paper was launched in 2004 as a stand-alone broadsheet. Over 70,000 copies are home-delivered to Union-Tribune non-subscribers in Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido, San Marcos, and Vista. It's published Wednesday through Sunday.
"[Today's Local News] has been very, very successful," said Hastings, adding that advertising revenue is ahead of last year.
Executive Editor Cindy Allen will move to the flagship paper and oversee all community news efforts, including a North County Section that is part of the Union-Tribune.
"It's pretty much a business decision," Hastings said. "It will be seamless to the readers."
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