In the news


Following trends in Gannett-owned publications nationwide, the Asheville Citizen-Times laid off a total of eight staffers Aug. 14 — six of them from its newsroom, including longtime columnist Susan Reinhardt and Ashvegas reporter-blogger Jason Sandford.

“It's hard when you see colleagues leaving that you've worked with for years, many years," Sandford tells Xpress. "There are tears, people are crying, there's emotion.”

Sandford worked there for about 16 years, in three different stints, starting in 1992 (he worked for Xpress from 2008-10). He says this mirrors the 2011 layoffs, when Gannett slashed 10 jobs in the newsroom.“They're gutting the news operation, the heart and soul of the newspaper,” he says. “That's what hurts.”

In an interview with WLOS, Reinhardt said, "I just feel like I made a difference in the 26 and a half years. And I'm really just going to miss all my readers."

Sandford reports that in addition to himself and Reinhardt, three other staffers were let go from the news department, including copy editor Rob Mikulak, reporter Thomas Fraser and staff photographer John Fletcher.

However, in the newspaper industry, layoffs like this are neither new nor shocking.

In recent weeks, industry publications have reported that Gannett, the United States’ largest media company and newspaper publisher, has been going through a series of nationwide layoffs. — Caitlin Byrd

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.