SIX STAFFERS at the Boston Herald received layoff notices on Wednesday, bringing the size of the editorial staff down to about 24.
According to sources, the six included a political writer, a court reporter, a columnist, a sports reporter, a sports columnist, and a photographer.
Steve Bulpett, a longtime Celtics and NBA sportswriter, tweeted that he had been let go. “Informed this morning that I am among those in the latest round of layoffs by the @bostonherald,” he wrote. “It is impossible here to express just how great an honor it’s been to cover the Celtics and NBA and establish that bond with you. I am so deeply grateful you took the time to read.”
Over 2,400 people reacted to the post expressing sympathy.
One of those laid off, who asked not to be identified, said “this is the beginning of the end for the Herald,” adding that he didn’t know how such a small staff could produce “good journalism” at the city’s second-largest publication.
The six layoffs at the Herald follow a series of furloughs lasting two to five weeks that started shortly after April 17 and ended on June 30.
Parent company Media News Group, which bought the Herald for $12 million in 2018, did not return requests for comment on the layoffs. The organization is well known for buying publications and squeezing costs out of them. The publication had around 240 employees just a few short years ago.
The Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents Herald and Boston Globe employees, was not in the loop about the layoffs, according to insiders.