HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
A mostly paperless newspaper is what The Patriot-News will become in January when it prints only three days a week and moves most of its operation online, but unclear is how many of the 230 full-time and 90 part-time employees will be cut in the process.
Preserving the newsroom's numbers will be a challenge for editor Cate Barron. Similar moves by the newspaper's parent company in New Orleans, Alabama and Michigan have led to layoffs and lots of them.
Cuts are also coming to The Patriot-News, but Baron says no decisions have yet been made.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, there will be some cutbacks for sure," she said. "We have such a wonderful staff of journalists. It's going to be very difficult and hopefully it won't be too drastic."
Charles Palmer, a professor of new media at Harrisburg University, says like town criers, morning papers are no longer necessary.
"This is the tip of the iceberg," he said. "We see news and information changes second by second. People want access to it and they want access to it in a variety of different ways."
Reporters get it. They've seen the headlines and this story play out elsewhere, but it's a lot tougher being in the news, than covering it.
"What's the mood here? Nervousness," Barron said.
Barron said The Patriot-News has downsized twice in recent years, but because employees took voluntarily buyouts nobody was forced out. She says the newsroom's leaner than those other newspapers that had massive layoffs.
She also insists there will be no charge for online content.
