Fifteen Santa Barbara News-Press employees were laid off Friday morning, according to a news release from Don Katich, the newspaper’s director of news operations.
“The personnel changes were designed to allow the company to respond to changes effecting the economy in general and the newspaper industry in particular,” the statement said.
The move is consistent with actions taken by other newspapers across the country, it said, and that other cost containment measures were being contemplated.
It is unclear whether positions in the newsroom were eliminated during Friday’s layoffs.
Judith Geiger Donlon, one of two designers left in the News-Press’ creative services department, was one of the employees laid off. She said that Josie Miller, who worked in systems for about three decades, as well as Don Hale, who worked in production for nearly 50 years, also were among the employees who lost jobs.
“It was a complete surprise,” she said. “Every department was already short-handed from previous layoffs.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com.
