Cinweekly staff laid off!

Wow, this is harsh. I hope the content of the magazine doesn't suffer by not having any local reporters to cover local events....

Enquirer lays off CinWeekly staff
Business Courier of Cincinnati

The expected layoffs at the Cincinnati Enquirer apparently have hit the staff of CinWeekly, its publication aimed at young readers.

Several Twitter messages and e-mails from Enquirer staffers confirmed that the publication’s staff was laid off Wednesday afternoon. Calls to CinWeekly’s staff members were not answered, and there has been no official announcement about the layoffs.

On its Web site, the Enquirer announced that starting with the July 15 edition, CinWeekly will be rebranded as Metromix. The newspaper described the publication as "the premier printed snapshot of all things entertainment that younger adults need to plan their free time." Metromix would target ages 25-39 with content from Metromix.com, Cincinnati.com and The Enquirer, according to the story.

CinWeekly was founded in 2003 as a free arts and entertainment tabloid aimed at adults in their 20s and 30s. It is distributed via newsboxes and other venues throughout Greater Cincinnati.

Gannett Co., (NYSE GCI) the Enquirer’s parent, said on July 2 that it would lay off 1,400 employees in its community publishing division. An Enquirer memo indicated that about 100 employees at the paper would be cut.

Gannett, over the past year, has instituted a voluntary severance plan, a previous layoff and quarterly furloughs as ad sales fell. The company posted first-quarter earnings of $77.4 million, or 34 cents per diluted share, down 60 percent year over year.

McLean, Va.-based Gannett also owns the Community Press newspapers locally.