P-T says we're still here *

An editorial in today's Long Beach Press-Telegram admits to challenges ahead, but says some of the fears about the paper's future have been overblown. Excerpt:

The issue of the restructuring ended up Tuesday before the Long Beach City Council, at the request of a councilwoman, Tonia Reyes Uranga, who is running for state Assembly and seeks the support of labor unions. (The Press-Telegram is in negotiations with its union, the Newspaper Guild.) Many Press-Telegram employees and former employees showed up to testify and show support, partly because of union issues but because of what they'd heard about restructuring.

Their comments reflected their fears, either for their own jobs or for the future of the newspaper. Some of it was misleading, whether intentional or not, as Rich Archbold, our executive editor, made clear.

Rich described what actually is happening. The Press-Telegram has consolidated its newsroom production jobs - copy editing and page design - with those functions at our sister newspaper, the South Bay Daily Breeze in Torrance. Sadly, this has eliminated the jobs of nine of our newsroom colleagues.

But it has not turned the Press-Telegram into a "bureau," as one critic chided. Including sales and other staff members, there are more than 100 of us here in our relatively new offices. The reporting, photography and editing staff members are here as before, several times more of us than what some people would have you believe.

This is the same wonderful and talented staff who won so many writing and photo awards in recent months.

Whole thing.

News from the north: A 10% cut at the East Bay newspapers of Dean Singleton's MediaNews was reached through buyouts, so no layoffs. Some editor shuffling ensues, including Stephen R. Trousdale, a former editor here at the Daily Breeze and the Daily Journal, as Business Editor. Mercury-News via Romenesko