The Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia’s long-standing Jewish community newspaper, laid off its entire editorial and production staff this week.
The weekly publication, owned by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, now will be overseen by Mid-Atlantic Media, a conglomerate that also publishes Jewish community papers in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.
In announcing the move June 3 on the Exponent’s website, Steve Rosenberg, the federation’s chief marketing officer, noted that the Exponent “has not been financially healthy for many years” and that it was losing some $300,000 annually.
Fifteen of the paper’s 27 staff positions were eliminated, with those laid off receiving “generous severance packages,” according to Rosenberg. Business and administration staffers are keeping their jobs; future issues, both in print and online, will be produced by a new staff to be hired by Mid-Atlantic Media.
The Jewish Exponent is the country’s second oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper, serving its community since 1887. — j. staff