Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 6:07pm on Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Michael Joseph is the new publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, taking over from Doug Franklin. Owner Cox Media announced the promotion on July 23, 2009:

Cox Media Group announced today that Michael Joseph is being promoted to publisher of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), effective immediately. Joseph currently serves as the AJC's general manager and president. He will continue reporting to Doug Franklin who will continue his role at Cox Media Group as executive vice president.

"Mike is a natural choice for this role," said Franklin. "First in Dayton, and most recently in Atlanta, Mike has exhibited a wealth of operations and management experience. These skills will be invaluable as the AJC adjusts its business model to best serve readers and advertisers."

Joseph joined the AJC in April 2009 to oversee all of the company's business operations, including advertising, marketing, circulation, production and human resources. Prior to joining the AJC, Joseph served as president and CEO of Cox Ohio and publisher of the Dayton Daily News.

Eric Kallgren    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 2:11pm on Saturday, March 28th, 2009

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is cutting 30% of its news staff:

On March 25, 2009, the newspaper reported the newsroom staff cutbacks:

"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Wednesday it will cut its full-time news staff by about 90 people, or nearly 30 percent, to lower costs as it tries to regain profitability amid a severe revenue slump.

The company also announced it will eliminate distribution to seven more outlying counties, reducing its circulation area to 20 metro Atlanta counties, effective April 26. The cutback will pare daily and Sunday circulation by 2 percent.

The AJC’s news staff will drop to about 230 full-time positions, down from about 323 currently. Staff members with five or more years with the company will be offered voluntary buyouts, with layoffs to follow if they don’t achieve the targeted cuts, the company said.

Most of the news staff cuts “will be in production and management, allowing us to keep as many news reporters as possible,” AJC and ajc.com editor Julia Wallace said.

The cuts are expected to be completed in May.

The company laid off 48 part-time news staffers Tuesday and announced the full-time cuts Wednesday morning.

The moves come amid “unprecedented pressures on advertising revenues and the struggling economy,” the company said in a press release.

“The AJC has taken an aggressive approach in changing our business model to ensure long-term viability,” Publisher Doug Franklin said in the release.

“We must reduce costs and become a smaller organization. Today’s announcements are the first in a series of initiatives we’ll announce over the next 90 days to reduce costs,” added Franklin, who was installed as the newspaper’s top executive in January.

It is the third and largest round of job cuts for the AJC news staff, which numbered about 500 in 2006. The first came in 2007 with buyouts for retirement-eligible staff members, followed by a broader buyout in mid-2008."

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 12:34pm on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

Cox Newspapers has named Doug Franklin publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He will replace the retiring John Mellott on March 1, 2009. Franklin is also executive vice president at Cox Newspapers, and he will keep that title when he takes over as publisher of the AJC.

Heather Sickels    Boulder, CO

Posted at 3:33pm on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Monday, October 27, 2008--Reported in the Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Giannina Smith Staff Writer:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution continues to face tough times, the paper's circulation numbers took the biggest dive recently of any major newspaper in the country, according to numbers released Monday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

During the six-month period ending September, the newspaper’s circulation fell to 274,999 -- a 13.6 percent drop from the same period a year ago. Figures are based on a Monday through Friday average. This latest drop comes after a 8.5 percent decline in circulation in the previous six month period ending March 31, where circulation numbers were 326,907, and a 9.1 percent decline in the six month period before that. Since April, the AJC’s daily circulation figures have fallen by 51,908.