Strib to eliminate 145 positions

Long-rumored cutbacks at the Star Tribune were announced today at a staff meeting. Publisher Par Ridder explained in a memo that they would try to achieve the position cuts mostly through voluntary buyouts, but that forced layoffs would be necessary if they couldn't reach the goal of 145 positions, about 50 in the newsroom. From the memo:

It's important to understand that our business model has fundamentally changed. This is not a temporary situation but a major shift in the media environment that we will be wrestling with for years to come.

As I mentioned in the meeting, dismantling a newspaper is not a strategy. However, cutting costs will allow us to stabilize our business as we work to reallocate resources so we can get the Star Tribune growing again.

(Ridder's full memo is available here via Poynter.org)

MPR's Annie Baxter will have a report on All Things Considered.