From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM –The Birmingham News plans to close their downtown printing press and sell the property, according press release from Alabama Media Group. The three day a week publication will outsource printing to Atlanta. The Huntsville Times, which was also printed in Birmingham, will be printed in Nashville.
The company said the decision was made to reduce cost and almost 90 jobs will be lost in the process. The move is planned for January.
“While we continue to expand our digital products, the print newspaper remains an important part of our business and effort to serve the community,” said Tom Bates, president of Alabama Media Group.
The printing press had been advertised for sale several months ago.
In 2012, The Birmingham News, The Huntsville Times, and The Mobile Press-Register cut publication from daily to three days a week. At the time, Advance said the move would result in the loss of jobs for about 400 people. In the ensuing years, dozens more have been fired or left on their own accord. Some positions have been filled by lower paid, less experienced personnel.
The move leaves The Birmingham News with only a handful of legacy employees remaining from their days as the state’s largest daily newspaper. Among those are crime reporter Carol Robinson, columnist John Archibald, religion reporter Greg Garrison, state capitol reporter Mike Cason, and court reporter Kent Faulk.
The Montgomery Advertiser and The Tuscaloosa News have replaced the Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville publications as Alabama’s largest daily newspapers.
8 Comments
Curtis Norris
They can close the entire Liberal Paper as far as I am concerned! I’m sick of them!!! I’m dropping them 2 days after the election!
Natalie Newton Johnson
Logan Johnson
Christopher Card
It’s just a left-wing blog site nowadays anyway! Pathetic they can’t even print it in Birmingham!
Kathryn Smith
When this subscription runs out no more for our family.
Louis Souleotes
Worst newspaper ever. Good riddance.
Fred Chatham
Moving to Atlanta, AT&T is moving too.more jobs lost for Birmingham
William Kennedy
Should have kept the Post-Herald and ditched the sNews. The wrong paper died first.
Brian Kelly
Bye Felicia .