WEST PALM BEACH, FL (June 25, 2008) – More than 300 workers will be cut from the payroll at The Palm Beach Post, publisher Doug Franklin announced today.
"We are the last major Florida newspaper to implement staff reductions," Franklin said. The cuts will come from the Post's 1,350 employees, reducing their workforce by 22 percent.
Employees are being offered buyouts. In the newsroom, 130 jobs from the 300 positions will be cut, and 60 jobs in production and advertising and 40 positions in circulation. A source at the Post said the photography department will be included in the reductions.
Franklin would not release details of the buyout offer that's being given to employees because not all of the staff have received the offer yet, he said. Employees who have worked for the company for more than five years will be eligible to volunteer for a buyout. The publisher said it's a typical package, one that's based on years of service, and that he believes that under the circumstances it's a good offer. "But there will be different opinions on that," Franklin said.
The cuts at the Post are strictly a move in West Palm Beach, and not part of any cutbacks by the parent company, Cox Newspapers.
Franklin said the Post's circulation is falling in line with industry trends, going down a few points year over year, but that they are becoming more focused on where it is important to have circulation and not "overreaching" just to get higher circulation numbers.
The publisher pointed out that the Post's circulation area is the nation's third highest area for Sunday newspaper readership, and that fact is a good prospect for the newspaper's long haul. Franklin also said the fact that Palm Beach County has a very high population of retirees who are daily newspaper readers will help the Post maintain their print circulation even as the paper makes efforts to move many of their readers into their Web publication.
As for the buyouts, Franklin said that he thinks they will get "a very good response" from the staff who will want to take advantage of the opportunity but that it is unlikely that they'll reach all the numbers necessary in each department, and that will mean there will be some layoffs come August.
Palm Beach Newspapers Inc. owns The Palm Beach Post, the Palm Beach Daily News, the Florida Pennysaver, and La Palma.
