• Gawker , Monday, June 8, 2009 10:16 AM

The New York Observer laid off a large portion of its staff Friday, including some top writers. Bloggers report that the move affected as many as a third of the editorial staff, including Matt Haber, Spencer Morgan and Doree Shafrir.

Jared Kushner bought the Observer almost three years ago, and it's doubtful that he's made any money on it yet. Editor Peter Kaplan, who shaped the paper, departed recently for Conde Nast; his replacement, Tom McGeveran, gets these layoffs as his first task as boss.

Christopher Barnes, president of the Observer Media Group, says: "Reducing the size of our reporting staff was not an easy decision to make. The reality is: we have to cut back in order to move forward."

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