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Los Angeles Times to axe 74 newsroom jobs as advertising slows

By Nithya Bose in US business news, posted June 8, 2023

The Los Angeles Times is cutting 74 newsroom staff as it faces financial pressures from advertising and print readership declines.

The eliminated positions account for approximately 13 percent of its total newsroom workforce.

While reporting jobs are expected to be spared, the cuts will predominantly affect production staff.

Full-time and temporary workers, including a few managers, will lose their jobs.

A substantial number will come from the news and copy editor ranks.

Some photographers, audience engagement editors, and audio producers will also be impacted.

The layoffs were announced by Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida, who expressed the difficulty of the decision given the economic climate and industry challenges.

The announcement drew criticism from the L.A. Times Guild, with its leader, Reed Johnson, calling it "outrageous and reckless."

He argued the layoffs violated a provision in the collective bargaining agreement, which he believed required the paper to offer buyouts before layoffs.

The Guild also expressed disappointment management did not discuss alternative cost-cutting measures.

The restructuring reflects the ongoing economic challenges the news industry faces, including declining advertising sales and difficulties in attracting digital subscriptions.

The Times has nearly 550,000 digital subscribers but has experienced a slowdown in growth in recent months.

The affected employees, both full-time and temporary, will receive the required notice and compensation as outlined in the labor agreement.

After the cuts, the newsroom will have approximately 500 employees remaining.

The Los Angeles Times, like other prominent news organizations, has faced significant challenges in recent years due to changing media consumption habits, shifting advertising landscapes, and the impact of the pandemic.

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This downsizing marks the first significant restructuring since Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and his wife, Michele, acquired the paper in 2018.

Under their ownership, the Times had avoided large-scale layoffs that had affected numerous other news organizations.

The paper had invested in its newsroom, increasing its staff by more than 150 journalists and launching an entertainment studio.

However, the pandemic severely impacted the Times' path to profitability as advertising revenues declined.

Executives did not disclose the financial losses incurred by the newspaper.

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