UPDATED: Battle Creek Paper Cutting 50 Positions -- And Closing Press

By: The Battle Creek Enquirer plans to cut 50 jobs, or nearly half of its staff positions, as well as shut down the newspaper?s press and move printing to a Lansing facility.

The decision announced Tuesday affects 18 full-time employees and 32 part-time employees who are part of the newspaper?s 105 staff positions, excluding independent contractors who deliver papers.

The newspaper owned by McLean, Va.-based Gannett Co. says four job cuts take effect immediately and the rest will be made during the next two months, and many cuts come from the mailroom.

Michael McCullough, the Enquirer?s executive editor and general manager, notes cuts are taking place elsewhere at Gannett. He says a decline in local revenue and circulation were factors in the decision.

He released a statement today, as follows.
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Today I announced work force reductions that included two major consolidations of operations.

? Effective Jan. 5, the Enquirer will consolidate its press and mail room functions into the Lansing State Journal. Our last day of production will be Jan. 4.
? Effective Feb. 3, the Enquirer will consolidate news page pagination and process into the Port Huron Times Herald. The desk?s last day of operation will be Feb. 2.

In total, the reduction in our labor force announced today affects 18 full-time employees and 32 part-time employees. Four of those cuts take effect immediately. All employees will receive severance pay commensurate with their years of service.

These were very, very difficult decisions, and I am deeply saddened, as I know you are, to lose so many dedicated employees.

As our business continues to change and our economy deteriorates, we?ve been forced to look at reducing expenses in all departments. In every case, we explored ways to drive costs down while minimizing the impact of those cuts on readers and clients.

Consolidating these two operations, while not without risk, allows us to retain resources vital to our core mission of delivering news and information to our readers and audience to our advertisers while we weather this difficult economy.

By consolidating pagination tasks in Port Huron, we can focus our resources on generating and editing local content. Because the consolidated desk will be primarily design- and production-oriented, major copy-editing functions will remain in Battle Creek. It?s my expectation that our readers will notice no loss in quality as a result of this change.

Similarly, moving press and mailroom functions to Lansing will allow us to continue to produce the same quality products and ensure they are accurately packaged and delivered on time. It?s my expectation that customers will notice no loss in service or quality as a result.

The cuts I announced today are not isolated to payroll reductions, but part of a broader effort to reduce costs to compensate for continued declines in revenue and circulation. Other cuts:
? A 10 percent reduction in news print consumption, including reduction and elimination of sections.
? Reduction in the use color ink.
? Elimination of unprofitable delivery routes.
? Reduction of single-copy racks.

I wish I had better news for you today. Even in these difficult times, I am very proud of the work we have done here and the people who have made that possible. Of course, that makes these decisions even more difficult.

In spite of our challenges, I believe that together we will persevere and someday will emerge stronger with hardened resolve to continue the vital work of a community newspaper. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with each of you.

Mac
(Michael McCullough, Executive Editor & General Manager, Battle Creek Enquirer)