Washingon Times cuts staff and sports section

Posted by Alisa Zykova on January 4, 2010 at 9:01 AM

Last Wednesday "financially troubled" daily Washington Times announced it will drop its sports section, Agence France-Presse reported Thursday. The paper recently made public its decision to drop a Sunday edition.

According to the National Post, the Times has laid off more than 40 percent of its staff and is planning to focus coverage more on cultural issues, politics, business and investigative reporting. The Los Angeles Times reported that in addition, the publication plans to concentrate less on local news this year. Nevertheless, some sports features will appear.

"Our market-based, forward-looking plan is both a response to the recessionary economy, continued downward financial pressures on the news industry and our transition into a 21st century multimedia enterprise," President and Publisher Jonathan Slevin said in a statement, according to the LA Times.

The job cuts include Managing Editor David Jones as well as reporters covering foreign affairs, Congress and the Justice Department. The daily said it will incorporate some management changes, the National Post reported. However, it still isn't clear who will supervise the newsroom, the LA Times pointed out. The "financially troubled" daily said it would be slashing jobs as part of a move to boost its multimedia presence, i.e. its highly visited Web site and radio programme "America's Morning News."

Officials said the local print edition will be freely distributed to "targeted audiences" such as federal government offices. Homes and offices will receive deliveries for a premium price, according to the LA Times.

The last sports section was featured on Friday, AFP reported.