Publication of the News-Sentinel page for Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been suspended by Fort Wayne Newspapers, a move it said was necessitated by the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The News-Sentinel became an almost entirely online publication in August 2017, but published a printed page in the editions of its joint operating agreement partner, The Journal Gazette. That page has been suspended. In 2018, the News-Sentinel laid off all its staff except reporter and columnist Kevin Leininger, who was furloughed this week.
Other employees at Fort Wayne Newspapers also were furloughed and laid off as positions were eliminated this week.
Fort Wayne Newspapers President and CEO Scott Stanford said the personnel changes were “modest but appropriate adjustments to staff in response to the challenging economic environment.”
“The global pandemic and resulting shutdown of the northeast Indiana economy has placed downward pressure on many businesses,” Stanford said in a statement. “It is our hope that, as businesses are able to reopen, the economy begins to improve and business returns to more normal levels, we will be able to bring back furloughed employees and restore features like the News-Sentinel page.”
He noted that Fort Wayne Newspapers continues to employ more than 120 full-time and part-time employees, including 40 full-time Journal Gazette newspaper journalists.
