The Rocky Mountain News on Wednesday offered voluntary buyouts to several dozen of its workers, a move aimed at trimming about 20 people – equivalent to 9 percent of its full-time newsroom staff.
The buyout packages will be offered to all 50 News employees who have at least 10 years of service with the company and who will be 55 years of age or older as of April 2, according to a memo from News editor and publisher John Temple posted on the website poynter.org.
The News has 220 full-time employees, Temple said.
Workers taking the buyout will receive “attractive benefits, including voluntary separation pay and a health care subsidy,” the memo reads.
Business operations of the News and The Denver Post are run by the Denver Newspaper Agency through a joint operating agreement. The newsrooms are separate and competitive. The DNA and The Post have both trimmed staff in the past year.
In light of declining circulation numbers and stagnant growth in advertising revenue, Temple said, “The only responsible thing to do is reduce our fixed costs.”
Cuts have also been recently announced at The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Time magazine and others.
Staff writer Will Shanley can be reached at 303-954-1260 or wshanley@denverpost.com.
