Regional newspapers merging photo staffs

— Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC has combined the photography departments of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Northwest Arkansas edition and newspapers in the region operated by NWA Media.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Inc. and Stephens Media LLC entered into an operating alliance on Nov. 1, 2009, creating NAN. The new company still isn’t profitable, Jeff Jeffus, NAN president, said Friday in a memorandum to all staff.

“We didn’t anticipate the severity or duration of the economic recession we were in,” Jeffus wrote in the memorandum.

Five employees were laid off as a result of combining the photo departments, Jeffus said. They included two photographers from the Democrat-Gazette’s Northwest Arkansas edition.

Among the community papers, two photographers and a photo technician were laid off, said Rusty Turner, editor and publisher for NAN dailies, including Bentonville’s Benton County Daily Record, Fayetteville’s Northwest Arkansas Times, Springdale Morning News and Rogers Morning News.

The changes took place Friday.

“Essentially, we’re going to a single photo desk here,” said Turner. “We still have two newsrooms.”

Paul Smith, president of WEHCO Newspapers, which owns Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Inc., said the organization had 13 employees in its two photo departments and should have had seven. That’s based on circulation, he said.

“It just didn’t make sense for us to continue duplication in some areas,” said Jeffus.

David Gottschalk will become a videography editor for the combined operation. He had been photo editor for the Democrat-Gazette’s Northwest Arkansas operation. Jeffus said that position will be under the Web department.

Spencer Tirey will retain his title as photo editor at Northwest Arkansas Newspapers.

Before the layoffs, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers had 409 employees, including 304 that are full time, said Jeffus. The company also has 306 contracted newspaper carriers.

“While we continue to evaluate all areas for efficiency, the changes we are announcing today are limited to the photo staffs,” Jeffus wrote in the memorandum.

Business, Pages 29 on 08/04/2012

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