USA Today is shutting down its weekend magazine at the end of this month, the newspaper’s president and publisher Larry Kramer said in a memo to staffers today.
"After careful consideration, we have decided to close USA Weekend Magazine," he wrote. "The December 28 issue … will be its last."
Last year, USA Today began distributing a weekend "Life" publication, focusing on entertainment and lifestyle content, to Gannett-owned local newspapers. After conducting reader research, said Kramer, the company decided that the new supplement provided "readers and affiliates with a superior product to USA Weekend Magazine."
The closure of the magazine will result in the layoffs of about 30 staffers, media blogger Alan Mutter reported.