First the merge, now the purge. FishbowlDC has the scoop: CQ-Roll Call is in the process of laying off 44 employees (writers, editors, etc.) today during a series of meetings. These meetings seem less like meetings than a cattle slaughter. These meetings aren’t going to be subtle. One staffer told FishbowlDC that it feels like Schindler’s List. FishbowlDC has the internal memo from boss Laurie Battaglia.

It reads in part:

“While this reorganization has many positive elements, there is also an unfortunate consequence of this assessment, and that is the elimination of 44 editorial positions, spread across all newsrooms. These decisions, along with our earlier commercial changes, have been extremely difficult to make, and are now made only after a nearly two-month painstaking effort to review our editorial teams and determine our needs going forward. But we are happy to now say that our restructure is complete, and no further personnel reductions of this nature are forthcoming.”

We know what these things are like. Our hearts go out to those staffers cut. Politico has a small item on the cuts.