‘Times’s grumbles grow’

Ben Smith and Dylan Byers report on the New York Times:

Four days after disgruntled New York Times staffers sent an open letter of frustration to publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the “Save Our Times” campaign had amassed 270 signatures in protest of the Times’s decision to freeze some employees’ pension plans, per the initial report from Huffington Post’s Michael Calderone. Two days later (as of this writing) they’re just short of 400 signatures.

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http://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2011/12/times-grumbles-grow-108988.html

‘Judge in Tribune Co. bankruptcy won’t set hearing till at least May’

An update on the Tribune Co.:

Tribune Co.’s long-running sojourn in bankruptcy shows no sign of ending soon.

A federal judge said in a ruling Thursday that he wouldn’t hold a hearing on plans to end the three-year bankruptcy until May at the earliest. Tribune had been hoping to resolve the case in the next few months.

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http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tribune-20111230-1,0,4514852.story

‘After Sale, New York Times Regional Employees Brace for Layoffs’

Adam Clark Estes reports on the New York Times:

‘Layoff’ is an understandably dirty word around The New York Times newsroom(s) these days. As the company prepares to finalize the sale of its Regional Media Group to Halifax Media Holdings this week, both The New York Times Company and Halifax are tip-toeing around using the six-letter word to describe what could soon happen to a bunch of journalists.

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http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2011/12/after-sale-new-york-times-regional-employees-brace-layoffs/46727/

‘Wall St. Fooled by Newspaper Industry’

An update on the U.S. newspaper industry:

Traders rarely make mistakes as bad as the one they made when they pushed newspaper stocks higher early in the year.

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http://247wallst.com/2011/12/26/wall-st-fooled-by-newspaper-industry/

‘New York Times Staffers Express ‘Profound Dismay’ With Management’

Michael Calderone reports on the New York Times:

New York Times staffers unhappy with management are letting publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. know it. In recent days, more than 270 current and former Times employees have signed an open letter expressing their “profound dismay” with recent company decisions.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/new-york-times-arthur-sulzberger-letter_n_1170401.html?ref=media

‘New York Times announces sale of 16 regional papers for $143 million’

Julie Moos reports on the New York Times Company:

 

Halifax Media is buying 16 newspapers from The New York Times in a deal that is expected to close within the next few weeks. The Times acknowledged the likely sale last week after Halifax prematurely published the newspapers’ names on its website, in a list of properties it owned.

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http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/157387/new-york-times-sells-16-regional-papers-for-143-million/

‘New York Times Co. Calls Union Back to Negotiations After CEO’s Departure’

Edmund Lee reports on the New York Times:

New York Times Co. (NYT) contacted union leaders about restarting contract negotiations a day after the publisher announced last week the retirement of Chief Executive Officer Janet Robinson, according to the local Newspaper Guild.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-24/times-co-calls-union-back-to-negotiations-after-ceo-departure.html

‘Investment group says it’s bought Sun-Times company’

An update on the Chicago Sun-Times:

A new investment group has completed its purchase of the company that owns the Chicago Sun-Times.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-investment-group-says-its-bought-suntimes-company-20111226,0,6742486.story

‘Newspaper job cuts surged 30% in 2011′

Alan D. Mutter examines the layoffs within the U.S. newspaper industry during 2011:

The number of jobs eliminated in the newspaper industry rose by nearly 30% in 2011 from the prior year, according to the blog that has been tracking the human toll on the industry for the last five years.

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http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/

‘New Union-Tribune Owner Defends ‘Cheerleader’ Journalism’

Matthew Fleischer reports on the San Diego Union-Tribune:

The San Diego Union-Tribune‘s new owner Douglas Manchester and his CEO John Lynch were on with KPBS San Diego’s Joanne Faryon last night to defend recent comments that their paper would be transitioning into a “cheerleader” role for the city of San Diego and its business community.

Continue reading:

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/new-union-tribune-owner-defends-cheerleader-journalism_b48290