Although the company is steadily climbing out of debt, not everything is sunshine and roses at American Media Inc. WWD’s Zeke Turner writes that AMI’s National Enquirer and Star magazine have made cutbacks to their West coast teams and now both titles’ employees will work together under the guidance of New York-based editors.  Among the four total layoffs were three reporters – Star’s Debbie Emery and Sandra Clark and the Enquirer’s Phil Kim.  These reporters will now be able to serve as freelancers.

The two mags will now work together in what Star editor-in-chief Candace Trunzo has dubbed an “AMI news bureau.”  National Enquirer editor-in-chief Tony Frost provided his rationale for the job cuts:

It’s a case of us working smarter and cutting out duplication.

An AMI spokesperson denied that the layoffs had any connection to the publisher’s bankruptcy filings from last November or declining circulation numbers.  No further cutbacks are expected.