Archdiocesan newspaper scales back, makes cuts

DETROIT — Altering a long-standing practice, The Michigan Catholic newspaper, the 138-year-old publication of the Archdiocese of Detroit, has changed its publication schedule to every-other-week.

The change comes amid a reduction of staff at the newspaper — five of its 12 employees were laid off on July 7. The newspaper has been a weekly publication throughout its known history. Currently it has 22,000 subscribers.

Also as part of the change, The Michigan Catholic will launch a new Web site today at www.themichigancatholic.com.

In recent years, the archdiocesan newspaper had routinely taken losses financially.

Last September, when it was disclosed that the Archdiocese of Detroit was operating at a deficit of $42,000 per day, it was announced — amid a broad restructuring of the archdiocese — that an annual subsidy to the newspaper would be eliminated.

The subsequent cutbacks in staff and frequency were necessary to allow the newspaper to operate without loss.

“The decision was a difficult one because The Michigan Catholic has a rich history,” said Ned McGrath, director of communications for the archdiocese, who last year assumed management of the newspaper. “We lost some good and dedicated employees who contributed a great deal to that history.

Sadly, the financial and economic realities that face our larger local newspapers also have had an impact on us.”

Three of the five employees who were laid off were members of the The Newspaper Guild.

A letter to notify subscribers of the change has been sent out this week. Msgr. Thomas Rice, associate publisher and editor of The Michigan Catholic, also published a letter to readers in its July 16 issue.