Al Dia Lays Off Most of Staff

Posted on March 12th, 2009 1:56pm by Eric Celeste
Filed under Hold On To Your Effin Hat, Media

The announced layoffs at A.H. Belo are supposed to be completed by month’s end, and it looks like they’re already beginning. Word is that Al Dia laid off most of its reporting staff yesterday (the Spanish-language edition scaled back to twice a week last month), leaving (for the most part) Alejandro Sobrino (the publisher), Alfredo Carbajal (Editor en Jefe), and copy editors and production folks. I’ve e-mailed Carbajal for comment, and I’ll update if he responds. Meanwhile, hands back on effing hat.

Update: Carbajal responds:

About yesterday’s layoffs, the staff reductions taken at Al Día are part of A.H. Belo’s previously announced company-wide reduction in force. The company is not discussing the specifics of the business units. They plan to provide an update when the reduction in force is complete, toward the end of the first quarter or beginning of second.

9 comments

  1. Maybe they should not throw so many of their papers in my yard as I do subscribe but it is in my yard most days…

    @ 3:15 pm on March 12, 2009

  2. Madre de Dios!

    @ 4:12 pm on March 12, 2009

  3. Word on the street is that DMN employees are getting RIF’ed today.

    @ 4:23 pm on March 12, 2009

  4. GP: Been checking in. Haven’t heard that yet. Doesn’t mean it isn’t happening now.

    @ 4:43 pm on March 12, 2009

  5. What…they can’t get any illegal day laborers?

    @ 5:14 pm on March 12, 2009

  6. To borrow from Breslin’s The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight, “Ratta bassets.”

    @ 5:15 pm on March 12, 2009

  7. GP: Word is that DMN RIFs were put off two weeks.

    @ 8:30 am on March 13, 2009

  8. Why do they fire the peons and keep the editors when the editors make a hell of a lot more money. with no writers what will they edit and why does al dia need it’s own publisher?

    @ 4:11 pm on March 13, 2009

  9. Maybe if they broadened their demographic to say, English speakers…Wait, is it racist of me to say that?

    @ 10:19 am on March 16, 2009