Newspaper cutbacks have hit an absurd level over in the UK. The Express papers have made 80 editors "redundant" and are asking their reporters to type their stories directly into templates and then having them reviewed by lawyers and "rewriters".  From the article in the Guardian, which must have been written with much relish:

Express Newspapers has provided staff on the Daily Express and Sunday Express
with details of its proposal for reporters to input stories directly
into page templates, as up to 80 subeditors across the titles are made
redundant.

In an email to staff, the Express Newspapers group
managing editor, Ian Parrott, detailed how reporters would fit stories
into an editorial template containing the necessary styles. Rewriters
and lawyers would then check the pages.

A section of the email
memo, seen by MediaGuardian.co.uk, called "Changing Ways of Working",
outlined the proposed changes to workflow at the newspapers after the
introduction of the Woodwing editorial system.

However, staff
remain concerned about the new system. The Express NUJ chapel reached a
resolution last week calling on the management to give full and proper
information on the proposals.

The memo said that despite the planned redundancies of up to 80 staff, including all casual production staff,
there would be "around 26 highly responsible roles for former
subeditors". A team of "rewriters" would then be organised into two
distinct groups, news and sport, with staff expected to cover all areas
within in each section.

Personally I love that last paragraph, especially the term "casual production staff".  I picture these layout guys reclining on lounge chairs with pints in one hand while slowly clicking away on their keyboards with the other.  It reminds me of when there’s a big snowstorm and they announce that the government offices are shut down and only "essential personnel" are expected to show up. Oh to be non-essential or casual.

Also, did you notice that once again the lawyers have found a way to survive?  I swear they’re like cockroaches.