Smithfield Herald to Shift Printing Operations to News & Observer

Smithfield, N.C. — The Herald, a twice-weekly newspaper owned by The News & Observer, is shutting down its printing and inserting operation and moving those job responsibilities to the Raleigh newspaper.

Eddie Thorndyke, publisher of the 15,000-corculation Herald, told WRAL.com that the move was “only logical” since The N&O and The Herald are part of the McClatchy newspaper chain.

“We are going to move our printing operation here to The News & Observer,” Thorndyke said.

“We will still be printing a newspaper,” he added. “We’ll just be trucking it in from Raleigh.”

The move will affect “our printing and inserting staff,” Thorndyke added. However he declined to disclose how many employees would be affected, referring that question to The News & Observer.

“Human resources and myself” will help those affected by the layoffs find jobs, he said.

The newspaper employs some 50 people, according to its Web site. It is printed on Tuesdays and Fridays, providing coverage of Johnston County.

The Smithfield press is also used for outside commercial printing business. “We haven’t been doing very much of that lately,” Thorndyke said.

The Herald has been published since 1882.