Buyouts reportedly leading to very deep staff cuts at the Journal Sentinel

According to a company source, a large number of experienced Journal Sentinel staff members are taking buyout offers, and other staff changes could leave the paper with far fewer veteran reporters and editors in key positions.

And a new report from Milwaukee Magazine writer Erik Gunn indicates that management could be targeting as many as 50 positions in the newsroom, or roughly 20 percent of the staff.

Music critic Tom Strini and theater critic Damien Jaques had already publicly announced their intentions to leave, but other staff accepting buyout offers includes education reporter Alan Borsuk, political reporter Steve Walters, business writer Tanette Johonson-Elie, and TV critic Tim Cuprisin. Others leaving include Linda Spice, Marie Rohde, Dave Tianen, and Geeta Sharma Jensen, according to the source.

Some jobs are apparently changing as well. Patrick McIlheran, the paper’s conservative columnist, will see his column reduced to just once per week from three times, in an arrangement similar to former reporter and columnist Mike Nichols.

The total number of buyouts could not be confirmed. In talks with the newspaper guild that were previously reported, Journal Communications negotiators were apparently looking to make more than 25 cuts from the newsroom. But that number now appears to have grown to 50, according to Gunn.

The buyout application deadline from the paper was last week. Staff cuts are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

The atmosphere in the newsroom right now is apparently very tough.