The Minneapolis Star Tribune will take over the printing of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, according to a press release Wednesday from Digital First Media, which owns the Pioneer Press’ printing facility.
“There is an industry-wide effort to sell newspaper production facilities and consolidate production operations in a manner that better suits our needs. We have reached an agreement with the Star Tribune to handle our production needs,” said Guy Gilmore, publisher of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, in the press release. “The Pioneer Press will continue to publish all of our current newspaper products after the production work is moved.”
The move will be complete in February 2014.
Mike Klingensmith, publisher and CEO of the Star Tribune, said in the press release that the move would diversify revenue for the Star Tribune.
“We’re also pleased to be preserving more journalistic voices in our market, a principle that we fully support.”
DFM reported that “With the move of services there will be a workforce reduction of production-related staff.” They haven’t yet returned an e-mail requesting those numbers.
On Nov. 7, Poynter reported a similar arrangement between the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram, reporting that 275 people would lose jobs, 75 of them full-time.
