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Owner of Belleville News-Democrat, KC Star Announces Broad Layoffs

By Chad Garrison on Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 1:25 pm

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More journalists kicked to curb.

Print media took another hit today when McClatchy Co. announced it would trim 15 percent of its workforce -- or 1,600 jobs -- from its news outlets across the country.

The company owns dozens of papers, including the Kansas City Star and Belleville News-Democrat.

In a statement released today, the company reports that the staff reductions will affect "virtually every area of the organization."

"We have been transitioning steadily from a traditional newspaper company to a hybrid print and online, news and advertising company for some time," said McClatchy CEO Gary Pruitt. "The effects of the current national economic downturn make it essential that we move even faster to realign our workforce and make our operations more efficient."

McClatchy also plans to introduce wage reductions as a way to implement further savings. Any journalism students out there, take it from me. Apply to law school. Now! You'll thank me for it.