As buyouts and layoffs loom at the NY Times, one article gave an inside look at the editorial shape of the newspaper’s beloved book review–reportedly staffed by 14 editors.
The NY Observer obtained a 61-page outline from the buyout paperwork; a list outlining how many people work in different parts of the NY Times‘ offices. Among the many positions listed, the article counted 14 editors at the book review, 21 editors at the NYT Magazine, and 18 critics in the Culture Department. What do you think about these numbers?
After reading the article, The Awl asked How Many Nice People Does It Take To Edit 24 Pages A Week?. Here’s a sample: “I like the Book Review. Or at least I like it abstractly, not in the "Yay it's Sunday morning, here's the Book Review" kind of way. And yes, there is a hell of a lot of reading involved in it. But I'm pretty sure me and Maud and Lizzie and Mark Greif and a couple interns could get it done by Tuesday and then sort of just chillax on Wednesdays before starting all over again.”