The New York Times announced Tuesday that it will close its editing and pre-press print production operations in Paris, a move that will eliminate roughly 70 jobs. The Paris news bureau and advertising department will not be affected by the proposal.
In a statement, the paper called the change “part of a proposal to redesign the international print newspaper and simplify the editing and production process.”
An internal memo sent to staffers on Tuesday morning detailed the plan that involves concentrating editing and pre-press print production in New York and Hong Kong. A print edition of The International New York Times will still be published and distributed in Europe.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after The Times announced it would invest more than $50 million over the next three years to increase its international audience.
The internal memo was written by international president Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, assistant masthead editor for international Joe Kahn and Europe editor Dick Stevenson.
“Only by moving ahead with this proposal can we assure our ability to maintain our international print presence for the coming years and do so in a way that will best serve our international readers,” the memo said.
The New York Post recently reported that the Times will lay off “hundreds” of staffers in the second half of 2016 — though Times sources disputed the scope of any downsizing.