Newsroom of the Future

What will the newsroom look like after the buyout? With so many unknowns, how can one make an educated guess about where he or she might stand after the dust settles?

Here are a few of the knowns:
1) The news staff is going to shrink. The number being cited is about 40 staffers will be gone.
2) Some sections - particularly those produced by the feature/arts/lifestyles departments - are going to be dropped or combined. The Lifestyles copy desk will be merged into the Universal Desk. Two Metro zoned editions will go away and the remainder will be published less often.
3) There is going to be a reduction in news space - up to 25 percent for some sections. Less space means less need for graphics and photographs, the bosses say.
4) The current ratio of reporters to editors is about half the size what management wants to see. If previous layoffs/buyouts are an indication, that ratio could shrink even smaller after the current buyouts. Some editors are likely be asked to assume new duties.
5) Quick will be published weekly rather than five days per week.
6) Al Dia is expanding its circulation three-fold.
7) Briefing, which publishes five days a week, is set to launch in late August. While it has a temporary editing staff, who stays on permanently has yet to be determined.

Make no mistake, every staffer will be affected by what's to come. Among the questions for each of us are how much is our job likely to change, and how willing are we to accept that change?