The final word on this wave of newsroom layoffs at the L.A. Times — and on whose buyout offers are accepted — may not come until next week, but in other parts of the newspaper the axe has fallen. I'm told that some editors and contributing writers were let go at Metromix, and in Orange County the director of news and online for the Times Community Papers lost his job (link to OC Weekly.) On the business side, it's been a long week of abrupt farewells. Here's the "let's get past it" memo from the head of circulation:

To: Circulation Department
From: Jack D. Klunder
Date: 10/21/08
Re: Moving Forward

Yesterday was a tough day . . . toughest on those who lost their jobs.

31 of our co-workers are no longer part of the circulation team. We were hoping to avoid another round of downsizing, but the advertising climate remains very soft. As a result, all departments went through what we experienced yesterday.

We lost some very talented individuals. Under normal circumstances all of these people would still be here, but we just have to adjust to the business conditions and sometimes do things we prefer not to do.

Now we have to move forward. We still need to sell, distribute, serve, collect, manufacture, analyze, and do all of the other little things required to run a great newspaper like the Los Angeles Times. And, we must do so with fewer people.

So, I am asking all of you to put this episode behind us and let’s continue to fight the good fight. Everyone will be challenged to figure out more efficient ways to produce the work and to do so at the highest levels of quality and integrity. Many areas will be restructured in some ways. We will be consolidating responsibilities - changing who does what. Be flexible and help us figure it out.

Thanks for hanging in there. It’s difficult, but somehow we need to continue to adjust and to get through these tough times. This will turn around - we just don’t know when.

Thanks.

Jack