Gene Bell, president of the Union-Tribune, sent a memo Wednesday in which, typical of the newspaper, the bombshell was concealed in Little Mary Sunshine prose. Bell told certain employees November 28 that the paper is making changes that are designed to give readers more news specific to their own geographic area. "We are changing the way we zone local news and advertising to better serve readers and advertisers, and to streamline our main press run," said Bell. In the penultimate paragraph, he stated, "Removing zoned content from the main run will increase efficiency and cut pressroom costs, including the elimination of 15-20 positions." Then came a subtle warning that more is likely to come: "In challenging times such as these, it is critical that we find ways to better serve customers while reducing expense." There will be more details in coming weeks, Bell said.
Gene Bell, president of the Union-Tribune, sent a memo Wednesday in which, typical of the newspaper, the bombshell was concealed in Little Mary Sunshine prose. Bell told certain employees November 28 that the paper is making changes that are designed to give readers more news specific to their own geographic area. "We are changing the way we zone local news and advertising to better serve readers and advertisers, and to streamline our main press run," said Bell. In the penultimate paragraph, he stated, "Removing zoned content from the main run will increase efficiency and cut pressroom costs, including the elimination of 15-20 positions." Then came a subtle warning that more is likely to come: "In challenging times such as these, it is critical that we find ways to better serve customers while reducing expense." There will be more details in coming weeks, Bell said.