According to the new edition of Advertising Age, the CFO of the Ford Motor Co. has ordered all employees to cancel all magazine and newspaper subscriptions paid for by the company. He also asked people to get refunds when possible.

With 350,000 Ford employees around the world, that's a lot of cancellations. And it seems to be a blow to competitive intelligence, market research, and leadership development. Now, no Ford executive will read the Wall Street Journal -- or Fast Company -- unless they pony up the cash themselves or go to the public library.

One department was spared the axe, however: public affairs.