Atlanta-Journal Constitution to lay off 30% of news staff

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will cut about 90 people from its full-time news staff, according to an article posted on the paper's website on Wednesday.

The AJC’s news staff will drop to about 230 full-time positions, down from about 323 currently. Staff members with five or more years with the company will be offered voluntary buyouts, with layoffs to follow if they don’t achieve the targeted cuts, the company said.
Most of the news staff cuts “will be in production and management, allowing us to keep as many news reporters as possible,” AJC and ajc.com editor Julia Wallace said.

The paper will also stop distributing to seven counties. The announcement comes just a day after the AJC laid off 48 part-time staff.
Publisher Franklin said the paper hopes to return to profitability in 2010.

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