CNN Lays off Environment/Science Staff

Workers across the country are facing lay-offs, and the media business is no exception. But you may not read about the media's struggles in their own newspapers or on their own channels.But the journalists who post on a listserv to which I belong are giving me the real picture. For instance, the media conglomerate Gannett is striking 10% of its workforce from the payrolls nationwide, including at Louisville's Courier-Journal.But here's the most surprising round of cuts: CNN laid off its entire science and environment reporting team yesterday. It strikes me that nixing environment reporting in times like these is to handicap an organization's ability to cover some of the biggest stories, period.Thankfully, the C-J did not cut its environment reporter, and I'm grateful to have a job as well.  But you might see news coverage in other outlets shrinking. It all raises the question: what is truly expendable when it comes to news?