Cox to Consolidate AJC Copy Desks

Cox Media Group, owner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and three other daily metro newspapers around the country, has announced it is consolidating some of the copy editing, design and operations functions for the papers to Dayton, OH.

The move, which had been expected for several months, will put a centralized copy editing team in Dayton, according to the Dayton Daily News, a Cox newspaper. The other newspapers owned by Cox are in Austin, TX, and Palm Beach, FL.

The Journal-Constitution reported Thursday evening that a there will be a consolidated wire editing desk in Atlanta.

"Over the past year, we asked our four major newspapers to identify best practices and opportunities to consolidate business functions—without compromising the investigative and in-depth news our audiences demand," Cox Media spokesman Andy McDill said in an email to Dunwoody Patch. "Today, we shared those recommendations with our employees. Many of the changes will be invisible to our readers, yet they will help all four papers remain competitive forces in their communities for years to come. We expect the changes to be implemented over the next 18 months, and will update employees throughout the process."

The company did not say how many jobs would be affected at the Journal-Constitution.

"As some decisions are yet to be made, we cannot disclose the number of positions in specific locations that will be affected by these changes," McDill said in an email. "This isn’t about numbers, but more about doing what’s right for our business in a challenging industry."

"Employees in affected areas will be given first consideration for any open positions at all locations before external candidates," he added.

Cox is not the first media group to consolidate copy desks among newspapers.

Gannett, which publishes more daily papers than any other company, consolidated several copy and design desks in Ohio, the Midwest and New Jersey in the past two years.