Is the Globe and Mail in the death spiral? This morning its publisher, Phillip Crawley, sent an email to all staff. Subject: Voluntary separation.

As picked up by J-Source.ca, website of the Canadian Journalism Project, Crawley’s memo asks everyone to consider taking a severance package, but involuntary layoffs are also looming:

“The sharp downturn in print advertising revenue in the last six months leaves me with no alternative but to reduce staff costs. Helped by your suggestions after the last Town Hall in November, we have made substantial progress in cutting spending across the company, but not nearly enough to offset the loss of sales.”

“I regret to say that voluntary severance alone is unlikely to produce a large enough response to avoid layoffs.”

Severances and layoffs could change the content and quality of the Globe, possibly shifting it more heavily toward business and politics and away from lifestyle—or vice versa. The Hook will follow this story.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.