No more Benson cartoons in ‘The Arizona Republic’
By Tom Jones | Poynter
Another brutal day for journalism.
Gannett began slashing jobs all across the country Wednesday in a cost-cutting move that was anticipated even before the recent news that a hedge-fund company was planning to buy the chain.
Related: Our take: What Digital First’s bid for Gannett means
The cuts were not minor.
The Arizona Republic laid off two, including cartoonist Steve Benson, the 1993 Pulitzer Prize winner for cartooning and a finalist for the award four other times.
At the Indianapolis Star, three journalists were laid off, including well-known columnist Tim Swarens. At the Knoxville (Tennessee) News Sentinel, University of Tennessee women’s basketball reporter Dan Fleser is out after more than 30 years in sports. The Tennessean cut three positions, including high school sports reporter Michael Murphy.
Six were laid off at The Record in North Jersey after nine took an early retirement buyout earlier this month.
On and on it continued.
Four were let go at the Westchester (New York) Journal News. Four were let go at the Ventura County (California) Star. Three were let go at The Citizen Times in Asheville, North Carolina.
