Amid an increasingly global world but tempered by the realities of an evolving system for sharing and disseminating breaking news around the world, The Boston Globe said Tuesday that it will close three foreign bureaus as part of efforts to trim costs.
Four reporters — in Berlin, Bogota, and Jerusalem — will be no longer reporting from overseas, a move that the newspaper says will prevent a “dozen or so” additional newsroom layoffs.
The reporters in those bureaus will be offered other jobs, editor Martin Baron said in a memo.
The Globe maintained overseas bureaus for three decades, and as recently as five years ago, it had five foreign bureaus and another bureau covering the United Nations.
Parent owner The New York Times has recently begun buyouts to employees in its New England Media Group. The plan may cut about 125 jobs, including 19 in the Globe newsroom and editorial pages and an undisclosed number at The Worcester Telegram Gazette.
It’s not just the Globe tightening its purse strings. For example, in the past six months alone, newspaper layoffs have hit cities from Philadelphia to Dallas and beyond. Earlier in January, the Philadelphia Inquirer laid off 17% of its editorial staff and at least 34 advertising positions. There have been roughly 72,000 people affected by U.S. media layoffs since June 2000.
Another result of these moves is a lack of funding for training college students in the newspaper business. According to the Poynter Institute, tighter budgets mean fewer available internships. Budget cuts will take The Globe‘s usual 16 slots down to 11, while The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington will suspend its internship program due to budget restrictions.