McLEAN, Va. — USA Today, the highest circulation newspaper in the country and the flagship of industry leader Gannett Co., announced plans today to eliminate about 45 newsroom jobs.
The job losses reflect a cut of almost 9 percent to a current newsroom staff of about 500, USA Today spokeswoman Alexandra Nicholson said. They will be scattered throughout news, money, sports and lifestyle sections.
In a memo to staff, USA Today Editor Ken Paulson said the paper hopes to reduce the staff through voluntary buyouts, but layoffs are possible.
"It's unfortunate that we have to take these steps, particularly when our newspaper circulation is growing," Paulson said in the memo. "Unfortunately, revenue has not kept pace and we're now facing the same cutbacks that so many other news organizations have already experienced."
Like other newspapers, USA Today has struggled with declining revenue as advertisers shift spending to the Internet. So far this year, the company has reported quarterly revenue drops at the paper ranging from 1 to 8 percent.
Unlike other papers, though, its circulation numbers have held strong. According to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations released earlier this month, USA Today was one of only three papers among the 20 largest in the nation to report circulation increases in the last six months, along with the Los Angeles Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
USA Today, with a circulation of about 2.3 million, is one of 85 papers owned by Gannett, with a combined circulation of about 7.2 million.
The paper celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year.
McLean-based Gannett shares slipped 54 cents to $39.81 in afternoon trading Tuesday. The shares have traded in the range of $39.60 to $63.50 in the last 12 months.
