NWA Newspapers streamline operations

Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC will combine Sunday business sections, the company announced Friday in a press release on the publication's website.

The release states several staff changes are also in progress during this restructure.

“Our goal is to make our operations more efficient without reducing local news content provided to our readers. In fact, we hope to increase it. By combining some operations with our partners at the Democrat-Gazette Northwest edition and making some internal changes, we’re confident we can accomplish that goal," as noted in the release by Rusty Turner, editor and publisher of the company.

The Sunday business section published by the Benton County Daily Record, The Northwest Arkansas Times, the Springdale Morning News, the Rogers Morning News will cease after Sept. 9.

The release states business stories and briefs written and compiled by the local dailies’ staff will appear either in the news sections of those dailies or in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Northwest edition’s business section.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Inc. and Stephens Media LLC entered into an operating alliance on Nov. 1, 2009, creating Northwest Arkansas Newspapers.

Friday's announcement comes on the heels of a consolidation in the sports and design desk departments between the local papers and the Democrat-Gazette Northwest on Thursday, resulting in six layoffs. The photo departments were also recently consolidated eliminating five jobs.

Two other open positions at the local dailies will not be filled, according to the release.