When Advance Publications announced late last month that it would be reducing staff and printing at four newspapers, that news was featured as prominently as possible on the front pages in affected communities, with headlines that trumpeted “Exciting changes for our readers” and “Newspaper to move focus to digital.” But as the company laid off 600 people Tuesday, that news was much harder to find on the front pages of its three Alabama newspapers. Below are today’s front pages and front pages from May 25, all courtesy of the Newseum (some cropped).
Related: “We have no intention of selling no matter how much noise there is out there” (The New York Times) | “Advance’s Internet strategy has never been about journalism or news. It’s about clicks.” (The Atlantic) | NOLA.com story announced firing of longtime sports writer Peter Finney, who had not yet heard that news (Gambit) | New Orleans news organizations hope to fill gap (WWNO) | Laid-off journalist: “I used to joke with people that for a political cartoonist, living in New Orleans represented job security” (Poynter)
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- The Times-Picayune laid off about half of its newsroom staff and one-third of its employees overall. (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
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- More than half of the editorial staff is being laid off at Advance’s Birmingham paper, but the front page (story lower right) does not mention that. (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
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- Mobile’s front page includes the statewide layoffs in a blurb. (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
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- All three Alabama papers, including Huntsville, ran the same staff report about workers’ “job status.” (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
Here are the front pages from May 25, when the changes were first announced:
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- The Times-Picayune announced May 24 that it would reduce print to three days a week after David Carr broke the story the night before for The New York Times. (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
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- The Birmingham News story was accompanied by a letter from the paper’s publisher. (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
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- Press-Register Editor Mike Marshall said he helped write the “exciting changes” headline. “Perhaps I got carried away,” he told Poynter’s Andrew Beaujon. (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
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- All three Alabama papers ran the same story about the changes coming to their publications. (Front page appears courtesy of the Newseum)
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