The Tampa Bay Times confirmed this week that it had reduced the newsroom staff by 16 through a series of job eliminations of full- and part-time employees. The Times is owned by the Poynter Institute.
Executive editor Mark Katches, who joined the Times in August, issued the followed statement:
In October, the Tampa Bay Times eliminated jobs throughout the organization, including nine full-time positions in the newsroom and seven part-time jobs. The reductions are necessary as the Times realigns its business for the future. The Times is owned by the Poynter Institute and is the sixth-largest newspaper in the country.
“Although saying goodbye to talented journalists is never easy, we're also actively hiring for mission critical jobs that will keep us moving forward,” Katches said. “We've been adding to our investigative reporting team and are planning to hire digital producers and a deputy editor overseeing digital strategy and audience engagement.”
The layoffs are the second round for the Times this year. In April, the Times said it had eliminated 50 jobs companywide due to a combination of slumping ad revenues and an increase in newsprint prices tied to tariffs.
