A Ledger byline showing the story is by a Ledger staffer.
This byline shows the Ledger story has been outsourced.
Plainfielders concerned about the ever-shrinking print editions of the Star-Ledger may have noticed one change, but be unaware of a second.
The graphics above illustrate the bylines of two different stories in recent days. The first is by Union County Ledger reporter Alexi Friedman, whom many will recall seeing on a frequent basis up until a year ago as he went about covering Plainfield's city hall, city council and school board beats.
In recent months, he was moved from the Ledger's Union County offices in Kenilworth to a desk in Elizabeth, from which he frequently writes about topics all over the county.
The second graphic illustrates what is happening to the coverage of local news by the Ledger: it is being outsourced.
Ledger editor Jim Willse admitted to E&P last month (see here) that an organization was being built outside the Ledger newsroom (and presumably outside of union contracts and benefits liabilities, too) to provide local coverage to the Ledger and its online presence, NJ.com.
Those stories identified as being 'for the Star-Ledger' are emanating from this newly-formed organization, known as Local News Service.
This past week, Advance, the Ledger's parent announced that it was mandating a 10-day unpaid furlough (see more here).
At the same time, E&P reported that Gannett, the Courier's parent company, was ordering a second round of one-week furloughs to be taken before July (see story here).
The Gannett papers, unlike the Ledger, put a brief story about the furloughs in their local papers.
The furloughs are undoubtedly very hard on the news staff, and there seems to be no end in sight as both Advance and Gannett continue to report steepening losses in advertising revenues -- especially national accounts such as automobiles, and locally in classifieds, both of which traditionally gave a hefty boost to a newspaper's bottom line.
Lurking in the wings are other, and more drastic measures, that may yet have to come. Some Advance papers have gone to three-day schedules. Other large newspapers have disappeared entirely or gone to Web-only opeations.
The Times, they are a-changin'...
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