New York Times Announces Pay Cuts, Layoffs

NEW YORK — The New York Times Co. is cutting pay for most employees by 5 percent for a nine-month period and laying off 100 people.

The company's flagship newspaper reported on its Web site Thursday that the cuts will hit most nonunion workers and run from April through December. Employees will receive 10 days off in return.

The Times reported that union employees have been asked to take the cut voluntarily to avoid potential layoffs at the company, which has been struggling with an industrywide advertising downturn.

Job cuts will come in the business operations of The New York Times, amounting to 5 percent of the total 2,000 workers in that part of the company.

Comments

[Hadok]

Sad to see the decline of newspapers.

The great thing about newspapers is that they are put on microfilm, placed in libraries, and, 50 - 100 - 200 years from now, if historical research is needed, they can be retrieved in most any library.

Internet content is temporary. No permanence. How many times have we linked to an article on a website, and found that within a matter of weeks or months, that "reference" no longer exists?

[Brooklyn49]

I agree with you. I think, as much as I love the Internet (here I am, after all), there is something too transient about it. The convenience factor is huge, of course, but I also think there is something about committing enough to news or opinion to pay for it and "have" it that lends a greater sense of value/meaning. I still go through books I have and come across a related article or review that I saved and put in the book. Yes, a story online can be printed out; but it's not as "real." And, I am old enough to recall when the Trib, Journal American, and Telegram shared newsstand space with the Times, Daily News, and Post. And, as much as blogs are provocative, often informative, and fun (at times), I think there is something more substantial about a "real" news person (text AND photo): just because one has an opinion, a camera, and a computer, one is not necessarily a "newser."

[Jond0]

Transient? Like the paper I use to wrap my garbage in?

Or transient in that it is a constantly evolving and growing entity that provides more information, exchanges of ideas, and enrichment to people's lives every day?

[alwaysthere]

mute
no where near the truth
we're not allowed
you can still think the truth
just not out loud.

tyranny, religions first thought.

[alwaysthere]

there are two deaths of my country that i remember
the killing of Kennedy
and the total collapse of the press
after 911

[EdwardEdwards]

I must say the NYTimes is amidst a massive technological DISCONNECT. Often on this very site, we are constantly assaulted by a subscribe to the NYTimes banner.

NYTypes -- don't you GET it?

We readers are here for two reasons. This site is a news aggregater. It not only reports on some of your best stories, but the best stories all over the web. It's free an accessible to all. It's delivered to my 'desktop' all day long, with new 'editions' all day long. Oh, and it includes audio, video, participation, and color. And it's far more green than newsPAPERs, which chop tree and burns lots of fuel being delivered.

The Huff Vs. The Times? Are you KIDDING?!? No contest. I know, some will make the argument that without the Times, and sources like it, there will be no Huff as we enjoy it now. Correct. Oh, and also: WRONG.

The Times should have seen this coming, and do ONE of two things. Buy the Huff, or copy and kill it. If some major papers and mags joined forces, they could start their own Huff, and deny the likes of Arianna links to it's content. But instead, we readers are asked to stick our heads in the sand and fight logical progress.

Sorry and sad.

[Paul]

Well put.

[hark]

Sorry, you don't get it. Investigative reporting is dead. There is nothing to aggregate when the great newspapers are gone. There are no journalists left. Even the insipid programs like "The View" will have nothing to talk about. All there is left is the punditocracy, that will make up stories about each other because there is nobody out getting real news.

RIP, America.

[EdwardEdwards]

Hark says, "Sorry, you don't get it. Investigative reporting is dead."

You skimmed Hark. If you hadn't, you would have seen THIS:

"I know, some will make the argument that without the Times, and sources like it, there will be no Huff as we enjoy it now. Correct. Oh, and also: WRONG. The Times should have seen this coming, and do ONE of two things. Buy the Huff, or copy and kill it."

Hark, your argument and angles like it are like horse and buggy types complaining that cars will ruin the ability to get from A to B. Cars actually improved things dramatically. Sure, it put horse and buggy types out of business, but had they become investors of Ford, they'd have been just fine.

Paper for news is over. Deal with it.

[G FORCE]

It's not the end. After all print news sources die, they will again own the distribution and will charge us to read it on the internet. Our free news ride will be over soon as well.

[alwaysthere]

bankrupt
who could stand on the up and up
with a faith-base
this corrupt.

[whosyourdaddy]

Outstanding!
I have enjoyed, the last couple of years watching the slow death of the old gray prostitute.

[DisgustedTexan]

I love the Times on the internet. I live where most news stories are generated by AP and are all the same in the local news outlets. The Times is always up to the minute with original stories by their excellent reporters. I love their political cartoons page. It is the first thing I click on. Their Science and Health sections are excelllent. I learn a lot by reading them. Their headline writers draw me into interesting stories about a lot of subjects I wouldn't ordinarily read. Some columnists I enjoy, some I don't, but I hope none of them lose their voices.

Whether one agrees with their editorial policies or not, please don't ever let the Times go away.

I became DisgusedTexan during the Bush years. I'm better now. I'm 77 years old and live alone. The internet and the Times are my window to the world.

[Brooklyn49]

Great post.

[Indie2008]

When TV eclipsed radio in the early 1950's, it was considered progress. I'm sure some radio broadcasters lost their jobs, but that was life in America then, as opposed to now.

[ohiomark]

You lose credibility, you lose money, you lose employees and eventually you lose everything.

[jade7243]

Could I suggest MoDo and Paul "Dr, No" Krugman be on the pink slip list???? Oh please... please... pretty please with sugar on it? Please????????????

[peaceplez]

No, you may not.

[Brooklyn49]

I'm still not clear about why newspapers (the operative words here are both "news" and "papers) have felt compelled to web everything for free; I understand the "this is a new day" argument about the importance of the Internet, but I still believe there is something of value in the hands-on paperness of the print medium (and that includes books, magazines, etc.The whole concept of Kindle drives me crazy.) That said, and to help maintain salaries and prevent the loss of MORE jobs, if "onlining" has to continue, I think it would be fair for "newspapers" to charge for Web access. Is there no "value" to great columnists, reporters, photojournalists? And, for anyone who has grown up with the Sunday Times (or their weekend paper of choice) happily strewn all over the house, where is the happy-place feeling of Sundays at 11 AM if you're staring at a computer screen and clicking through the magazine section?

[jojony]

I do not understand, isn't the NYTimes on Obama's side?

Conservatives certainly dont consider the NYTimes to be their paper of choice.

The comments on this story are insane.

[Ohsherri]

It seems they sold out at the last moment to try and sell papers.

[themodernleader]

In a declining organization, people with declining knowledge and skill and stillborn opportunity don't need to read or learn. Reading and learning are only for those people in countries that provide virtually unlimited opportunity and jobs for the vast generality of their membership. Therefore, the New York Times will continue to decline until our country begins to place opportunity in the forefront of our deterioriating citizentry.

[harrybailey]

I received a call from my local NPR station seeking a reason why I had stopped contributing. Asked the caller why should I when corporations like Haliburton, GE, and a host of wealth management companies are underwriting their activites. Enter lawyers decrying First Amendment issues. Can't have it both ways. Sheepish telethons this fall. Local affiliate's CEO made nearly half million dollars salary last year. Why?

MSNBC Shuster tonight asks why don't corporations pay their fair share. Please. How long has the Real Left tried to report the offshore banking affairs, i.e. Nader's corporate welfare. Corpos, complicit media comglomerates and Joe Sixpacks were the perfect storm, I believe. Properly distracted as one is MIT Linguistics Dept. once said.

[Agent420]

I'll bet if they laid off the CEO, they would save those 100 jobs.