Tampa Bay Times lays off 11 journalists

The Tampa Bay Times has laid off 11 journalists, the newsroom’s executive editor said in a note to the staff on Wednesday.

Three additional positions, held by people who are planning to leave the Times, also will be eliminated.

Last month, citing a tough start to the year financially, the Times announced that employees across the company would see a 10 percent pay cut for 13 weeks. That announcement said staffing reductions also were likely.

The layoffs were not related to advertising losses caused by shutdowns from the coronavirus, Executive Editor Mark Katches said in the note. The impact of that is “too soon to tell,” he said.

“We all have seen how the financial challenges facing our industry have directly impacted us, our friends and our colleagues,” Katches wrote. “This has been yet another painful reminder, but we keep moving forward. Our readers and our community need us now more than ever.”