Northwest Arkansas Newspapers Sheds Jobs, Newsrooms in Regional Refocus

Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC announced Monday that 15 jobs — nine in the newsroom and six in other departments — were eliminated and two newsrooms in Benton County will be shuttered as the media entity forms a new, streamlined regional publication called the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The new-look newspaper will publish its first issue Jan. 12.

Those who lost their jobs include longtime editor Susan Scantlin, who had been editor of the Northwest bureau of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 1998. Rusty Turner, editor of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, confirmed Scantlin is no longer with the company.

Northwest Arkansas Newspapers is jointly owned by WEHCO Media Inc., and Stephens Media. They formed the entity in a 2009 merger. With the consolidation, the board of directors of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers is going to revise the operating agreement between those two companies, said Turner.

Northwest Arkansas Newspapers owns and operates the Benton County Daily Record, Rogers Morning News, Springdale Morning News, Northwest Arkansas Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Edition. Under the consolidation, the individual daily nameplates will appear in the paper as the “B” section, according to a press release issued by Little Rock-based advertising and marketing firm Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods.

“With a regional population of 500,000, Northwest Arkansas is recognized as a major metropolitan area,” Turner said in the release. “We have come to think, live, work and act as a region without borders and this decision reflects our region’s growth and development.”

Monday’s announcement came after months of speculation that a big change was coming to Northwest Arkansas Newspapers this year.

Monday morning, in a major hint the change had arrived, one former employee announced on Facebook that she had been laid off.

According to sources, in addition to Scantlin, an editorial assistant, two designers, three reporters and an editor were among those who aso lost their jobs at the dailies. An assistant editor at a weekly publication was also let go, according to a source.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will continue to be a daily newspaper with early morning delivery and distribution, according to the press release. Daily print subscribers to the newspaper will continue to receive access to the digital version.

Employees in the Rogers and Bentonville offices will work from newsrooms in Springdale and Fayetteville, starting as early as this month, Turner said.

The company’s 10 weekly publications will not be affected by the change.