Washington Times Downsizes

From TPM LIve Wire:

Washington Times Announces 'Significant Staff Reduction'

Justin Elliott

The beleaguered Washington Times announced "significant" reductions to its staff of 370 today.

In response to "marketplace realities", "the company is aggressively working to achieve efficiencies of scale that must include significant staff reduction of its 370 personnel," said Publisher Jonathan Slevin.

The Times statement does not give an exact number of layoffs, and a spokesman did not respond to a phone call. Politico's Michael Calderone is hearing about 40% of the staff will be let go.

The release went out to reporters as Times staffers attended a hastily called meeting in the newspaper's ballroom this afternoon. Newsroom sources have told TPM that in recent days several people packed up their desk photos in anticipation they could be laid off with limited notice. Also, some staffers have been avoiding parking in the parking lot in case the gates are closed to force them to return equipment.

Among the changes to be made gradually through 2010 are: free circulation to targeted groups, an expansion of the Times' theconservatives.com, more partnership with United Press International (UPI), which, like the Times, is owned by the Unification Church.

The turmoil at the Times, which was founded by church leader Rev. Sun Myung Moon, began when three executives were fired in early November. The resignation of top editor John Solomon was announced a few days later. Solomon and the fired execs haven't been talking, but sources and reports point to a combination of Moon family politics and financial problems driving the chaos at the paper, which has long been subsidized by the Unification Church.

Adding to the trouble has been a very public set of allegations made by now-former editorial page editor Richard Miniter, who has accused the Times of religious discrimination and breach of contract.