By Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke 12/06/12 4:32pm

Bad Omens

layoffs

How Newsweek Predicted Its Own Demise

As we wait for final details of the Newsbeast staff cuts, we came across an impassioned case against layoffs that ran in the pages of Newsweek almost three years ago. The article, which was published before Tina Brown took over the magazine and merged it with her Daily Beast website, explained “our over-reliance on downsizing is killing workers, the economy–and even the bottom line.”

“Layoffs are mostly bad for companies, harmful for the economy, and devastating for employees,” the piece concludes. “The damage from overzealous downsizing will linger even as the economy recovers—and as it does, perhaps managers will learn from their mistakes.”

However, the piece also noted the argument against layoffs doesn’t apply to the media industry and went on to provide a grim forecast for the now folded magazine’s future. Read More

By Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke 10/24/12 5:12pm

Publishing

Free_Press_logo

Simon & Schuster Reshuffles, Lays Off Editors at Free Press Imprint

Publisher Simon & Schuster announced a major restructuring plan that will bring together all its imprints into four groups. As part of the new plan, Free Press will be folded into the Simon & Schuster group and editors have been laid off. Free Press publisher Martha Levin and Free Press editor-in-chief Dominick Anfuso are out, as are editors Webster Younce, Emily Loose and Alessandra Bastagli.

“Unfortunately, as result of this reorganization, several positions within the group have been eliminated,” S&S publisher Jonathan Karp wrote in an internal email about the reorganization. “On behalf of everyone who has worked with them, I want to thank our departing colleagues for their efforts on behalf of our authors and contributions to our success.” Read More

By Foster Kamer 8/21/12 6:43pm

MEDIA BRIEFS

xxlHopsin

Media Briefs: XXL Goes Down a Size

Cutbacks at hip-hop magazine XXL, Barry Diller gets ’bout About, Pat Kiernan’s revenge narrative, Tina Brown’s tour of the woodshed, and the reason we will never, ever, ever be invited back on RT/Russia Today, at least for the 8 p.m. hour. All of this and more in your Tuesday Evening Media Briefs: Read More

By Foster Kamer 8/17/12 4:34pm

Raising Arizona

village_voice

Layoffs Hit Editorial Staff at The Village Voice

Layoffs are hitting the editorial staff at The Village Voice today, and they’re hitting some of the most widely-read staff writers in the office. The Observer has heard from multiple sources familiar with the situation that the bad news is beginning to spread around the office, and that the following people are out at the Voice: Read More

By The Editors 10/12/11 9:45am

opinion

Short-Sightedness is Yet Another Union Blunder

City Hall and the teachers’ union worked together to avert catastrophic layoffs of teachers a few months ago. Too bad the union representing support staff in the schools couldn’t figure out a way to repeat that success.

As a result of District Council 37’s short-sightedness, some 672 people are out of work. They received layoff notices a few days ago. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott expressed his sorrow over the plight of the laid-off workers, but he made it clear that the union was not so sympathetic. Had its leaders tried harder to find other savings, the layoffs would not have been necessary. Read More