Crain Communications Makes DC Cuts
As the economy worsens and the publishing world struggles to regain footing, Crain Communications has given pink slips to at least three top journalists in its Washington office, according to sources within the company. The privately-owned business publisher shut down RCR Wireless News, a publication that covers the wireless industry, last week. The publication's bureau chief, Jeff Silva, is leaving the company and a source within the firm said he did not think any reporters for the publication were spared. RCR Wireless News had 50,000 print subscribers and more than 100,000 Web visitors per month. "The market for the wireless industry has been hit particularly hard and we needed to direct our resources in other directions," the company's chairman Keith Crain said in a statement.
This week, Crain Communications told its staff that they were cutting Washington reporters for three publications: Advertising Age, which focused on advertising, marketing and media; Television Week, which billed itself as the community newspaper of the television industry; and Automotive News, the newspaper of the automotive industry. In recent weeks, Crain has also closed Financial Week, financialweek.com, Automotive News Europe and Business Insurance Europe. Ira Teinowitz, who was bureau chief for Advertising Age and also covered Washington for Television Week, is leaving the company and Harry Stoffer, a reporter with Automotive News, has also been let go.
"Washington is not the only place getting cut for Automotive News. We also lots a Nashville person, a West Coast reporter I am told, we lost at least two copy editors in Detroit, we lost the IT reporter in Detroit, we lost an assigning editor in Detroit. That makes seven positions that I know of for Automotive News," Stoffer said. Concerning his layoff, Stoffer said "It's shocking, it's unfortunate. I understand companies need to cut back. I question the wisdom for my publication of taking out its Washington bureau at a time when the federal government is making the most critical decisions ever related to the automobile industry." Crain's Washington office still has 11 employees left, he said. -- Winter Casey
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Economy
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