Very bad news, very bad:
This memorandum from the publisher was sent out Thursday morning, following a New York Times report about the plans on Wednesday night:
THE MEMO TO THE
STAFF
To all employees:
We wanted to make you aware of a
news story that will be posted on NOLA.com regarding the future of the company,
and to alert you that we will be scheduling meetings to discuss it with groups
of employees today.
The story, which can be accessed through this
link, details the formation of NOLA Media Group, a digitally focused company
that will launch this fall and that will develop new and innovative ways to
deliver news and information to the company’s online and mobile readers. NOLA
Media Group will be led by Ricky Mathews. Also this fall, The Times-Picayune
will begin publishing a more robust newspaper on a reduced schedule of
Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays only.
We will also be forming a new
company, Advance Central Services Louisiana, which will be led by Ray Massett.
ACS will produce and distribute the newspaper as well as provide critical
support functions for the NOLA Media Group.
Many current employees of
The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com will have the opportunity to grow with the new
organizations, but the need to reallocate resources to accelerate the digital
growth of NOLA Media Group will necessitate a reduction in the size of the
workforce.
Press reports have necessitated our giving you this news
now. We realize it will make people anxious, but we do not know enough today to
be able to announce how the changes will affect individual employees. We will
move as quickly as possible in the coming weeks to make that determination and
to inform each of you personally.
We will meet with department heads
at 9 a.m. today in the 2nd-floor conference room . Staff meetings will be
scheduled during the day. We will not be able to answer all of the questions you
have, but will address as many as possible.
Ashton Phelps,
Jr.
Publisher
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