AP Planning 10% Staff Reduction in '09

Whatever else was said at yesterday's Town Hall meeting with Associated Press employees, the message that got out was this number: 10%.

"Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley told a group of employees today that the AP could lose up to 10% of its staff by the end of 2009, but likely through attrition not layoffs," reports Joe Strupp at Editor & Publisher.

As a nonprofit cooperative, the AP may be better able to whether the financial crisis than other big media companies that answer to public stockholders. On the other hand, it is controlled by U.S. newspapers, which are hurting bad. The AP recently had to back off a proposed rate restructuring for 2009 after member newspapers complained. Many newspapers, including those owned by the Tribune company, are considering dropping their AP wire service to save money. The AP entered a hiring freeze in October.

We will keep an eye on what this means for the AP's large photo operation in the coming months.