As expected, Alden Global Capital is making cuts after acquiring Tribune Publishing.
According to a story in the New York Times, the number of unionized newsroom employees at the Hartford Courant now stands at thirty-one. Three years ago, the number was fifty-three, so the cost cutting trend precedes Alden ownership.
This week, a local weekly paper owned by Alden in Bowie, Maryland – The Blade-News – ceased publication after forty-one years. Alden says readership patterns have changed. In an un-signed note on the front page, readers were referred to the website of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis for news about Bowie.
Note to Bowie Blade-News Readers:
“Due to the changing habits of our readers and the shifting demands of our advertisers, The Bowie Blade-News will cease print publication effective immediately.”
While many journalists decry the tactics of Alden, the company says it is doing what is necessary to keep most of the papers it owns in business, instead of allowing them to die off one by one.
