The New York Daily News has had its editorial staff cut in half after layoffs announced Monday by publisher Tronc.
Among the employees departing are editor-in-chief Jim Rich and managing editor Kristen Lee. Robert York, currently the editor at Tronc-owned The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will become the new editor-in-chief July 30, employees learned from an email sent by the Chicago-based media company.
Tronc, which also owns the Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun and Orlando Sentinel, acquired the Daily News last year for one dollar. The tabloid, founded in 1919, faced “significant financial challenges,” said the Tronc email to employees.
As a result, the Daily News would see its editorial team reduced by 50 percent and coverage would refocused on “breaking news–especially in areas of crime, civil justice and public responsibility,” employees were told.
The Daily News, which once had hundreds of staffers had already been reduced to 75 to 100, according to The New York Times. The New York Post put the Daily News’ current staff at 85.
“The decisions being announced today reflects the realities of our business and the need to adapt an ever-changing media environment,” the email sent to employees said. “They are not a reflection on the significant talent that is leaving today. Let there be no doubt: these colleagues are highly valued and will be missed.”
The news led to an outpouring of concern. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo encouraged Tronc to reconsider the layoffs and offered state help to keep its staff intact in a note posted to Twitter. “This will undoubtedly devastate many households and hurt an important New York institution and one of our nation’s journalism giants,” he said.
Continue reading: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/media/2018/07/23/n-y-daily-news-hit-layoffs-reducing-editorial-staff-half/819634002/