The Boston Phoenix laid off five staffers last week and has announced plans to combine with Stuff Magazine into a weekly glossy called The Phoenix:
The new weekly publication The Phoenix is set to debut in the Fall of 2012, but the company hasn’t specified a first publication date, or said when the last issue of Stuff will run. The Phoenix will blend lifestyle stories, which Stuff has been known for, with harder news stories about local politics, music and the media, which the The Boston Phoenix has specialized in. Carly Carioli, the current editor-in-chief of The Boston Phoenix, will head up the new publication.