Boston Herald Offering Buyouts to Staff

The Boston Herald wants 20 employees, or 5% of its staff, to take buyouts as the economic meltdown takes its toll on advertising.

Four hundred employees received letters today detailing the buyout offer.

Last summer the tabloid laid off more than 100 employees and outsourced its printing.

Papers across the country are grappling with a withering economy, shrinking ad revenue, and pressure to make online news more profitable.

The economy is forcing many newspapers to reduce their staffs and cut pages to reduce costs. The Boston Globe is offering buy-outs after saying last month that needs to reduce its newsroom staff by as many as 50 positions.