763 pink slips in a week

Several major news organizations last week slated 763 jobs for elimination. Here are the details:

:: In the second round of layoffs announced this year, the New York Times Co. intends to eliminate 500 (mostly newsroom) positions at the Times, the Boston Globe and other properties. The decision coincides with a threat from Standard & Poor’s that it may downgrade the parent company’s debt rating.

:: Knight Ridder is reducing the news staffs of the Philadelphia Daily News by 19%, the Philadelphia Inquirer by 15% and the San Jose Mercury News by 22%. Together, these initiatives will claim about 160 jobs.

:: The Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald was shut down on one day’s notice by Scripps, summarily putting 43 journalists out of work.

:: The Tribune Co. is eliminating local news operations at its TV stations it in Philadelphia (KPHL) and San Diego (KSWB), subcontracting the news time slots to the NBC affiliates in each town. Thirty jobs will be eliminated at each newsroom.

For an earlier discussion of newsroom cuts and staffing levels, see this post.