The Washington Times’ Cuts In Staff & Coverage Cue New Era (Howard Kurtz/The Washington Post; Dec 3)

The Washington Times, which gained a strong foothold in a politically obsessed city as a conservative alternative to much of the mainstream media, is about to become a drastically smaller newspaper.

Nearly three decades after its founding by officials of the Unification Church, the Times said Wednesday it is laying off at least 40 percent of its staff and shifting mainly to free distribution.

In what amounts to a bid for survival, the company said the print edition will focus on its core strengths: politics, national security, investigative reporting and “cultural coverage based on traditional values.” That means the Times will end its run as a full-service newspaper, slashing its coverage of local news, sports and features.

The dramatic move is fueled by both internal church politics and a severe industry downturn that has forced a spate of big-city papers to shut down or declare bankruptcy….

The church’s leader, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, was interested mainly in influence, given that the newspaper has lost an estimated $2 billion since its 1982 launch. By attracting such marquee conservative names as Tony Snow and Tony Blankley — and with reporters who sometimes outhustled the competition — the Times punched above its weight class, building a nationally known brand.

But the dream has now been downsized. Beginning early next year, the paper will be distributed free “in select areas,” the company said, particularly at federal government offices and other key institutions. Newsstand sales are being deemphasized — they will take place at fewer locations — and subscriptions will be discouraged by the charging of “premium prices.”…

The paper’s daily circulation has recently hovered around 85,000, compared with 583,000 for The Washington Post….

Many on the 370-person staff had braced for bad news after the company dismissed three top executives and [editor-in-chief John] Solomon resigned last month, but were nonetheless stunned by the depth of the reductions….

The Unification Church, which is suffering its own financial strains, had served notice that its subsidy to the Times would have to be curtailed. In a recent affidavit, [former editorial page editor Richard] Miniter said the church provides $40 million of the paper’s annual $70 million budget….

The plan for mostly free distribution mirrors that of the Washington Examiner, which also has conservative opinion pages, and Politico, which publishes a print edition when Congress is in session but draws its national influence from its Web site. The Times plans to work closely with its sister company, United Press International, which is a shadow of its former self.…

Asked about plans to focus cultural coverage on traditional values, [the company's new president, Jonathan] Slevin said that meant “freedom, faith and family,” with religion being particularly important “to our faith-based readership.”

Ex-Washington Times Editor Sues Paper, Rev. Moon (The Associated Press; Dec 8)

WASHINGTON: The former opinion editor of The Washington Times has sued the newspaper, alleging breach of contract, emotional distress and damage to his reputation.

Richard Miniter says he was pressured to attend a Unification Church event and harassed over his refusal to sign a fraudulent document to help an executive.

The lawsuit seeking unspecified damages was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington. It also names the Unification Church and its leader, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, as defendants. Moon founded the Times in 1982.

Last month, Miniter filed a religious discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The paper has denied the discrimination claim, but had no immediate comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.

On the occasion of his newspaper’s 20th anniversary in 2002, Rev. Moon was quoted as saying “The Washington Times is responsible to let the American people know about God” and “The Washington Times will become the instrument in spreading the truth about God to the world.”

Apparently gOd has since canceled his subscription.