Bucks County’s two daily newspapers have seen more cuts at the hands of Gannett, the international news publishing company that is traded on Wall Street.
As part of a nationwide plan to reduce costs and headcount, one Bucks County Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer newsroom staffer was laid off at the start of December, according to sources with knowledge of the cost-cutting.
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Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily newspapers across the country and USA Today, also has cut the jobs of regionalized teams that assisted in the production and operation of the Bucks County Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer, according to sources.
Many of those who were laid off ended their time at the nation’s largest publisher of daily newspapers in mid-December, but some positions will be eliminated in the coming weeks, according to a source at a Gannett newspaper outside of Bucks County.
Staff at Gannett newspapers were on edge since Henry Faure Walker, the temporary head of the news division, issued a memo in mid-November warning of layoffs to come in December.
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“The note did not specify a number, but communications chief Lark-Marie Anton said in an email that the target was a 6 percent reduction. With a headcount of 3,440, that would amount to roughly 200,” industry publication Poynter reported.
A Gannett spokesperson told LevittownNow.com they do not comment on personnel matters.
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In August, Gannett laid off 400 staffers as part of a plan to cut cost after a reported second quarter loss of $53.7 million. Two of those layoffs occurred at the Bucks County newspapers.
Gannett CEO Michael Reed wrote in a summer memo that the company was in “truly challenging times.” He stated the newspaper chain that has more than $1 billion in debt “continues to face headwinds and uncertainty.”
In the third quarter, Gannett reported a $54 million loss and notched down anticipated revenues for the year.
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As part of the cuts in recent months, Gannett has “temporarily” suspend 401(k) matches, forced employees to take five days of unpaid leave in December, paused hiring, offered an option for staff to take unpaid leave of up to six months while holding their jobs, and offered buyouts. The company has also implemented cuts to publication freelance budgets, travel, contracts, and ended most company phone lines at the Bucks County newspapers.
The company in earning calls has blamed financial troubles on inflation, less advertising revenue, a tight labor market, and economic uncertainty.
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While the county’s two daily newspaper’s have continued to win journalism awards and put out large investigative pieces, the staff roster has shrunk by approximately 90 percent over the past 15 years, according to data provided by former employees and a public directory.
In the past few years, the Bucks County Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer have consolidated into one office next to the Oxford Valley Mall, the newspapers’ Falls Township printing facility closed, delivery drivers were laid off, the Monday editions were ended, and local news coverage has been slashed.
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The local Calkins family sold the newspapers in 2017.
Gannett said they won’t disclose circulation and online subscription numbers, but recent Alliance for Audited Media data provided from 2020 through early fall 2022 shows dwindling subscription numbers at the two newspapers.
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The Bucks County Courier Times printed about 10,000 copies on weekdays and 15,000 on Sundays in 2020, but that number fell to approximately 8,000 copies on weekdays and 12,200 on Sundays in 2021. By the end of September 2022, the newspaper was printing close 3,700 copies on weekdays and 7,000 on Sundays.
For the Doylestown Intelligencer, the newspaper printed around 9,100 copies during weekdays and 14,000 on Sundays in 2020. In 2021, that number was roughly 8,000 copies on weekdays and 12,200 on Sundays. As of the end of September 2022, the Central Bucks County newspaper was printing 2,700 copies on weekdays and 4,800 on Sundays.
Combined, the audited circulation numbers show several thousand online subscribers between the two newspapers, but the number is nowhere close to previous print numbers. Just two decades ago the newspapers were printing more than 110,000 copies between the two titles to keep up with demand.
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Despite the drops in circulation, staff at the newspapers in recent years have been told the Bucks County Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer remain profitable.
Bucks County, one of the largest counties in the state, is served by a number of locally-owned publications, including LevittownNow.com; the Bucks County Herald; The Philadelphia Inquirer; Bucks County Beacon, a progressive political news and opinion hub; and the Delaware Valley News. Like the Gannett newspapers, the Advance of Bucks County, the Patch.com network, and Daily Voice are owned by out-of-area firms.
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