Fresno Bee cuts standalone biz section

The business section of the Fresno Bee is moving into the back of the paper’s local & state section, according to annnouncement from executive editor Betsy Lumbye.

Sources at other McClatchy-owned newspapers tell Talking Biz News that they expect to announce a similar move soon. The Myrtle Beach Sun News, a McClatchy paper in South Carolina, announced a similar move last week.

Lumbye writes, “I know these changes will be unsettling to some readers. But like so many businesses and households, we have to cut our costs during this recession. Most of our income comes from advertising, and as business revenues decline, our advertising revenues follow suit.

“You’ve probably read about recent staff reductions and internal changes at The Bee. Although painful, they have not diminished our commitment to being your leading local news and information source.

“We’re deeply grateful that our readership remains strong, both in print and online. The Bee continues to lead the state’s larger newspapers in household penetration — the percentage of households in a newspaper’s market area receiving the paper. Believe me, we don’t take that loyalty for granted, and we continue working hard to justify it.”

Read more here.