McClatchy’s Fresno Bee to outsource to India

The Fresno Bee will outsource some advertising production work to India, the newspaper said Tuesday.

Seven of 31 workers in The Bee's advertising design department will lose their jobs, said Ken Hatfield, The Bee's vice president of communications and public affairs.

Workers who cannot be placed in other jobs will be offered severance pay, extended health insurance and outplacement help.

"This is a difficult decision for the newspaper to make, but The Fresno Bee needs to operate more efficiently," Hatfield said.

Beginning in September, Indian workers for San Jose-based Express KCS will take over the work of affected employees.

Express KCS will take over only some advertising production work, and most of The Bee's advertising services will not be affected by the move, Hatfield said.

The Bee's Ad Creation/Design Center will continue to produce all of the creative work for the newspaper's print and online advertisers, including spec ads, new layouts, direct marketing products and other special products, he said.

Advertising customers will continue to interact with Bee sales, marketing and design employees in Fresno, he said.

Formed in India, the company began expanding its services to U.S. and British clients in 2004, and in 2006 reformed as a Delaware-registered limited liability corporation, according to the company's Web site.

The Bee is the only McClatchy newspaper using the company's services.

But Express KCS does advertising production work for some other California newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury News, the Contra Costa Times and ANG Newspapers, which publishes the Oakland Tribune and other daily papers in Fremont, Hayward and San Mateo.

[Source: Fresno Bee.com]

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