From an anonymous emailer: "Surprise major layoffs at cbsnews.com. Number unconfirmed but more than five. This after unpublicized hiring freeze over past few months. Layoffs include mix of veterans and newbies. Already low morale said to now be even lower."

When asked for a response, CBS Interactive gave TVNewser this statement:

"During 2007, CBS Interactive acquired three companies, invested in 11 more, and grew its workforce by hundreds of employees, including the formation of a new senior management team. Along with the core success of CBSsports.com, new online sites from Last.fm to Dotspotter have infused invaluable DNA into the division, and are actively translating their experience in community-building to all of the Company's properties and content. In the coming year, we intend to build on our success by expanding on that strategy of building communities online. Part of achieving this goal is reorganizing the way we do business to align the division's workforce with our new vision, including increasing our operations in the Bay Area - the heart of so much of this activity. We're confident that CBS Interactive's focus on consumer involvement will help the Division experience another record year of growth in '08 and beyond."

>Update: Also receiving the same statement was FishbowlNY, who had the story first, and Huffington Post's Rachel Sklar, who reports the number of cuts to be between 7 and 20.

>Update update: An anonymous emailer writes: "cbsnews.com layoff number is 20+ (including yours truly). The timing was a surprise, but given the level of ineptitude of our managers, the bloodshed is not."