The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers announced Monday it will cease publication of five editions as of the end of May and merge some others. The cost-cutting moves will eliminate about 44 jobs.
The Gannett-owned non-daily suburban newspaper group said The Birmingham, West Bloomfield, Troy and Rochester editions of the Eccentric will end publication in print and on the Internet with the Sunday, May 31 edition. The Birmingham Eccentric dates back to 1878, when it was founded at a local men’s club, The Eccentric Club.
In addition, the Southfield edition and O&E’s Mirror Newspaper will become part of a new, multi-community Sunday newspaper, the South Oakland Eccentric, which will serve Royal Oak, Berkley, Clawson, Huntington Woods, Southfield and Pleasant Ridge, the company announced.
“These expense reductions are a direct effect of our challenging economy and changing media landscape. These decisions, as difficult as they are to execute and to accept, position the newspaper for the future – a future that includes multiple platforms of news and advertising,” said Susan Rosiek, Executive Editor of the Observer & Eccentric/Mirror/Hometown Newspapers, in a statement on the hometownlife.com website.
The newspaper company will continue to publish the Observer Newspapers in western Wayne County and Farmington/Farmington Hills and the Hometown Weekly Newspapers in Northville, Novi, Milford and South Lyon.
