Gannett Orders Fifth Round of Furloughs

Newspaper giant Gannett has announced it will furlough employees at its publications for a week during the first quarter of 2012. The company owns the Louisville Courier-Journal, as well as the Indianapolis Star and the Cincinnati Enquirer.In a letter from president Bob Dickey, employees were told that the national economy’s slow improvement necessitates spending cuts. Only employees making an unspecified minimum salary will be furloughed, and most are required to take five unpaid days by mid-March.The furloughs aren’t accompanied by any layoffs, but the company didn’t rule out future cuts later in the year.Gannett has been criticized for imposing furloughs and layoffs while giving executives generous bonuses. Notably, a CEO received a multimillion dollar retirement package upon leaving the company.WFPL's Erica Peterson contributed to this story