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Salon CEO firing (the) duds (19 August 2009)

Richard Gingras--CEO of Salon--is laying off personel:

For several months we have been working on a redesign of our product, that we will launch this fall, and also a redesign of our underlying systems. We are moving away from a very traditional magazine production model and becoming more of a true Web publication, with a more direct publishing system. Moving forward, we are investing most in the writers and creative participants who can help us continue to attract the smart, discerning readers attracted to Salon. We think this direction makes us a stronger company, and puts us in a good position to not just weather the economic storm but emerge much stronger than ever. Economic times are difficult and that necessitates change. But change is also healthy and you'll be seeing many new developments from Salon over the coming months.

The financial changes emphasize what we do best — publish sharp, fast takes on the important events in the world, as well as the in-depth stories, reviews and blogs that readers come to us for — and will also allow us room to grow. Salon has always been about great writing from great writers. That will continue.

Let me also clarify the facts on reductions in edit staff. There were only six positions cut out of 29 in editorial: 3 editors, 1 writer, a photo editor and a multimedia producer. Let me also point out that all those effected last week are talented and hard-working folks and they'll be missed, personally and professionally. Source: Valleywag

I wonder how these "talented and hard-working folks [who'll] [. . . ] be missed, personally and professionally," think of his making their firing part of a larger plan to "invest most in the writers and creative participants who can help us continue to attract the smart, discerning readers attracted to Salon"? For all their hard work and talent, they're the ones who brought in the duds, it would seem . . .

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