City Desk apparently has a fantastic set of sources inside the newsrooms of the District’s two main competing newspapers, and today they bring us updates on the layoffs that have been hitting the industry at almost every level.

First, the Washington Times. According to a memo from new Editor in Chief John Solomon, the Times is finally looking to be a profitable operation, possibly in hopes of actually giving money back to primary owner Rev. Sun Myung Moon instead of just taking it away. Obviously, such an ambitious goal requires trimming the staff a little, as Solomon informed:

As we discussed in our private coffees a few weeks ago, reshaping the newsroom for the challenges of the 21st century and moving the entire company toward profitability were going to require many tough decisions…Over the next few weeks, we will make a difficult journey. The effort will be expeditious and fair, even-handed and humane. It will require us to say goodbye to some colleagues we have known for many years and to celebrate their many accomplishments as they leave us. It will also allow us to welcome some new colleagues whose skills will improve our capabilities, particularly in the digital arena. By the end of April, we will have achieved a newsroom that is stronger and better aligned for the future.

Next, the Washington Post. Though the paper is part of a hugely profitable and diversified company, the honchos at the Post are still trying to find way to make more money in a particularly difficult industry. Thankfully for many Post employees, the paper hasn’t had to outright fire people, opting instead for early retirement packages that usually include two years of pay and benefits. But according to City Desk, new publisher Katherine Weymouth either has a sick sense of humor or isn’t aware of the significance of certain colors in the workplace — the most recent round of offers were printed on pink paper. Once alerted to the slip-up, this is what Weymouth had to say:

“To be honest, I was not aware that pink sheets accompanied packets but I am confident that it was random and unintentional. It certainly was not our intent to cause any anxiety. On the contrary — our goal was to get the packets out to people and to cause as little disruption as possible.”

In somewhat related news, the new and improved Newseum is set to open on April 11. Of course, at this rate, it’ll be a huge monument to a dead industry in a few years, which is pretty damn depressing.