Newspapers Merge Photo Operations, Cut 5 Jobs

Five staff photographers at Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC will be laid off as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Northwest edition and the area papers owned by Stephens Media Inc. merge their photo departments.

In a memo to staff Friday, NAN president Jeff Jeffus said the new company, formed when the Democrat-Gazette and Stephens Media Inc. entered into an operating alliance Nov. 1, 2009, still isn’t profitable.

 “We didn’t anticipate the severity or duration of the economic recession we were in,” Jeffus wrote.

The consolidated photo department will have a staff of eight.

“It just didn’t make sense for us to continue duplication in some areas,” Jeffus said.

A NAN employee said they were told not to comment on the personnel moves until after 5 p.m. Friday.

The company said in May it had hired CRG Partners Group, a New York-based consulting firm, to examine all areas of operations to identify ways to increase efficiency and grow revenue.

NAN has 409 employees, including about 100 part-time workers, Jeffus said.

In his memo, Jeffus hinted at possible further staff reductions.

“While we continue to evaluate all areas for efficiency, the changes we are announcing today are limited to the photo staffs,” Jeffus wrote.