Or if you prefer: Illegitimi non carborundum.
Either way, here we are. D Day.
Repeating the rules of the day:
1) If you are laid off and want to let people know, give contact information and/or give a parting message, send me an e-mail -- dmncuts(at)gmail(dot)com -- and I'll get it posted. Or you can post a comment here with the information. I'll try to get those kinds of comments aggregated onto their own post as the day goes on. The same applies for tomorrow and the next several days, as people recover from shock and decide they want to be public. During previous layoffs, a few people got job offers because they made their situation public, if that helps.
2) Do not post a name in the comments as having been laid off unless it is you. Do not launch a personal attack on any person. This blog will have no collateral damage if I can help it. I realize that will make it less newsy and interesting to read. I can live with that. What do you want for nothing? A rubber biscuit?
3) Those of you keeping lists, if you want to share, here's what I want at the end of the day: Department breakdowns and category breakdowns. That is, how many from local, sports, UD, etc. How many reporters, line editors, copy editors, etc.
I will neither be liveblogging nor Tweeting. I will post e-mails as quickly as I can. If you have a problem with the pace, see #2 above. At the moment, I still have a job. Working this blog on a company computer feels like a bad idea.
Most of those who have gone before this have landed on their feet and say they are happier than they were when they were here. May it be so for those who leave today.
The comments are on.
It has started. I've been summoned to HR. I wish good luck to all who follow me today. This really sucks.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with you, Anonymous. If it is any comfort at all please know that even those that survive this day will have to face a day like this again in the near future. The torture is over for you. Hold your head up high and remember that all of your colleagues value you and your many talents. Nobody wins on a day like this one.
ReplyDeleteEvery one of you who is cut has the talent and the skills to go on and earn a living doing what you love, even if it is on a freelance basis. I have great faith that you will land on your feet and I wish you even more success and happiness than you ever had at The Dallas Morning News.
ReplyDeleteIt's very challenging. But it isn't forever.
ReplyDeleteI do not work for the DMN but my sister does... at least for the moment. So I know that today will be very hard for everyone. I will be praying for strength and comfort for all of you today. May your talents be appreciated and used elsewhere very soon.
ReplyDeleteJust know - it may be "Friday" today... but Sunday is coming, and Jesus won't fail you.
5 Metro reporters so far.
ReplyDeleteI got the call on 10/27/04. My heard is with you all.
ReplyDeleteMy wife works at the DMN in a management position, and there is no way to continue producing the content they do with even less staff. Those of you left will work harder and longer, and it will take the ball being dropped on numerous occasions for senior management to realize you can only cut so much.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with those of you who are called to HR today.
My "heart" is with you all. Can't take the new typos out of the ol' newshound.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the managers in this?
ReplyDeleteAhem, I know you think you're helping but please keep your personal choice of deities to yourself, not everyone being pink slipped is christian.
ReplyDeleteMake that six metro reporters.
ReplyDelete"Where are the managers in this?"
ReplyDeleteMany are grieving because their feet were held to the fire to over-reduce staff to bottom line numbers. And many managers will be gone or demoted as well. This layoff is the top floor's decision, not middle management. There's a certain stubby,chubby grubby guy who clearly is responsible for this, if you know who I mean (cough cough)
I'm with Anonymous on this one.
ReplyDeleteAhem, let's take the comments in the spirit in which they are offered. If Jesus ain't your deity accept the wish of comfort behind it.
ReplyDeleteWhat about those of us from the newsroom who are off today? Will we get a phone call? Or, will we have to wait another agonizing day until we return in order to learn our fate?
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts and prayers are with my colleagues who are leaving today. I'm devastated. And I ask the same question too: Where are the managers in this? While I don't wish this on anybody, I have to ask the same question again: "Where are the managers in this?" Why are we letting go of people who are prolific and hard-working?
ReplyDeleteIt makes no sense to me. But then again, I don't run the company so what the heck do I know?
Fine, may Baal dry your tears and may you sacrifice your first born to him come the next festival.
ReplyDeleteMay Goddess Starhawk guide you.
ReplyDeleteEvery single time this has happened at the DMN, starting in 2001, many good, talented, hard-working people have lost their jobs -- and the careers they loved. You somehow have to just accept that it doesn't make sense, that working hard and doing right doesn't really save you. Once you get your arms around that, it's easier to understand your own value and where you go from here. -- Layoff class of '04
ReplyDeleteMy band aid has been yanked. It smarts but the relief is setting in. Hopefully I won't lose my home. Farewell.
ReplyDeleteI got the call from HR almost 6 months ago, on Oct. 24th. It was completely unexpected, and it was indeed terrible. At first it seemed like the end of the world. But you know what? It wasn't the worst thing ever to happen to me. Eventually I came to realize I am actually relieved to be out of there, free of the stress and heartache. Today I am happier, healthier and more hopeful. Things will get better for you, too. And your friends are here for you. I don't know how I would have gotten through those first days and weeks without the support of people who care. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteFolks, I walked out the door in September to an uncertain future, which, truth be told, is still uncertain. And I wouldn't change it for anything.
ReplyDeleteYou will find there is life after the DMN. You will start a process to redefine yourself. And, after years of the uncertainty, you'll be able to breath again.
My thoughts are with you all - those who leave & those left behind. Be proud of the work you've done. Look forward to a new life.
Dave McLemore
Class of '08
I left the DMN on my own steam, but I will tell you this: There is a market out there for people who can spell, have a firm grasp of grammar and punctuation, and a modicum of Web experience.
ReplyDeleteAm I doing what I set out to do originally? No. But coupled with freelance gigs and my own blog, I can achieve a reasonable facsimile.
But how do you find time to death polka?
ReplyDeleteYou have to MAKE time to death polka. ;)
ReplyDeleteGallows humor. Laughing in the face of tragedy and flipping the bird to da MAN.
ReplyDeleteThank all of you in The DMN newsroom for your words of support and encouragement this morning. It's the world's greatest understatement to say that it has been an honor to work with you.
ReplyDeleteI have learned so much from you during my two decades at The News. The talent and dedication in that room is amazing. Some of you, and you know who you are, have given help and understanding during many difficult times.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to work at a job that has allowed me to do so much with my life so far.
I'm still a little numb, knowing that for the first time in nearly 32 years I do not have a newspaper job.
But I will be fine. I have many good friends, a loving family and a partner whose unconditional love has indeed made me a better person. We will celebrate 21 years of being together next weekend.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
--Frank Trejo
Trejojr@aol.com
Frank, you were a true asset to the DMN, and your superb writing will be missed.
ReplyDeleteI second that... Frank, you were a true asset to TDMN and will be missed.
ReplyDeleteFrank,
ReplyDeleteYou will be fine. Believe me, there is a very sweet life ahead of you outside of the DMN. That has been true for me. I've had the pleasure of working with you en Mexico y aqui en los EEUU tambien, so I know what you're made of. Cuidate.
Wow Frank. Just wow.
ReplyDeleteYou are a class act.
Totally. My best to you, Frank.
ReplyDeleteAs a former DMNer who also left by her own steam a little while back, I want you guys to know that we on the outside (but still in the biz) stand with you guys - both the laid off and survivors - during this tough time.
ReplyDeleteTo echo the comments of other ex-DMNers to all our former colleagues... Do know that there are alums all over the country thinking of you and pulling for you today, aching that good journalists are losing their jobs for reasons beyond their control, and willing to help in any way we can.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, deeply appreciate the heartfelt prayers and comfort, especially from people who have gone out of their way to offer them, even if they don't work with us. MY prayers and thoughts are with my fellow DMNers now as I hold my breath and wait for this day to be over. As a Christian, the greatest, deepest, most profound sympathy we can offer comes from Jesus, so see that as an open-hearted gesture of respect. Anonymous is hurting for you and is on your side, as am I.
ReplyDeleteEvery blessing and good thought, Frank. I don't know what we'll do without you -- this is a deep cut and a hard loss. :(
ReplyDeleteAs a non-believer, I say shit just happens.
ReplyDeleteI hope its not intrusive for readers to post here. Best wishes to all of you. Frank Trejo, you are a really great man. I recall your stories on Proyecto Adelante and on Central Americans seeking a new life here. They were always well written and informative. I can say that I have always really respected your point of view. You have been and I feel certain, will continue to be a real asset to our city and country.
ReplyDeleteto the rest, lots of us readers grieve for you. Best Wishes
bill holston
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteFrank, as a fellow writer at the DMN but one whom you do not know, your byline has always been one I admire. When I've seen it on a Metro page, I've always read what is below it, because I know I'll be rewarded with an interesting, humane story. And I'll learn something. You did your job here well.And wherever you land, you'll do your job honrably. It's our loss -- the newspaper's, the readers'. Please know you made a difference here.
ReplyDeleteBush guy: Stop now before someone thinks you're implying this is deserved somehow, because there are a lot of riled journalists on here itching for someone to focus their anger on.
ReplyDeleteFrank: As a DESIGNER -- I've done the same thing: I always stop and take the time to read a story if it's by you. You have a great and amazing destiny out there. I am sad you've been cut and you're hurting, but you are so talented -- the world is at your feet.
ReplyDeleteI feel like sobbing.
ReplyDeleteAny word from the Business side of things? Surely that staff, as small as it is, is relatively intact.
ReplyDeletePlease, no Jesus stuff. If Jesus cared (existed?) none of this would be happening to begin with.
ReplyDeleteAnyone understand why it's taking so long? And do we know if anyone who's off today has heard anything? This is all so weird -- if it's really 200 people, at this rate, it's going to take a week.
ReplyDeleteI walked away in September, and I'm still not employed full time. But that's partially by choice because I'm as happy and stress-free as I've been since college. Others are right: there ARE opportunities for talented writer/editor folk like us out there. Just carve out a niche and be a pest (most of us are good at that already, right?)!
ReplyDeleteFor most, life after TDMN will be better. It doesn't make the changes any less traumatic, though.
All things happen for a reason. Even the hard things, as much as we hate them because they hurt. One door shuts and another opens.
ReplyDeleteAnd just as you have the right to say that you don't want to hear it (and we are ok with that). Others have the right to say it, so please show the same courtesy .
Please, this isn't a place to attack people. Whatever faith you claim to, don't attack others for what they believe in.
ReplyDeleteI would lay odds that there are some people who were told early this morning who just may have better things to do right now than satisfy our curiosity over who is gone and who isn't.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone break it down by department?
ReplyDeleteAdmin, can you please re-focus this topic/comments if you have a moment?
ReplyDeleteI'm gone. That's one from the newsdesk.
ReplyDeleteThree from photo so far.
ReplyDeleteI too have had the hammer fall on my head. I devoted myself to the newspaper biz and the Morning News. It has been an honor to work with so many talented and committed people in news. I appreciate the prayers and best wishes. I am 58 years old, a woman, single and have had a stroke. What now? Here is part of the breakdown: 6 off the news copy desk, all in their 50s except one; one off the news desk, 13 in sports; 2 in business; mostly zone reporters in metro; no one from TSW, national or international except a special writer. Where are the managers? God bless you all! Laura Miller, 15 years at DMN, 32 year career
ReplyDeleteWere some of the ones in Sports former baseball writers? Since the Star telegram is now providing the News with Rangers coverage I was wondering how many baseball writers would be let go.
ReplyDeleteI read that last post and can only offer my prayers. We're in the middle of something similar at my shop and these really do feel like the scariest times of my life.
ReplyDelete13 released from the sports desk? How are they going to operate? Maybe have the higher-ups create the section themselves?
ReplyDeleteAny in the advertising/ ad production? Designers?
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of these loses of special people. The paper will not ever be the same. My friend and colleague is one gone. He says 12 out in sports -- six copy editors and four reporters. This sucks.
ReplyDeleteLaura, please tell me how to contact you. dhtorn1256(at)gmail.com
ReplyDeleteDitto that, please, Laura. samantha.shaddock at gmail.com
ReplyDeleteNobody in the agency department... yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, dthorn1256@gmail.com. Transposed the t and h.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Laura. I enjoyed working with you and appreciate the effort you made to learn new technology. Phil Oakley
ReplyDeleteHow does "Bush" make it into a comment thread regarding people's lives being thrown into disarray? Backing Bush had nothing to do with the decline of print media. If you want to point a finger, it should be at the Internet. And we all know who invented that.
ReplyDeleteHahaha -- I can't believe I just laughed at that through all these snuffly tears. You guys really are the best.
ReplyDeleteSpotted a decent stack of layoff boxes being delivered to the Belo building over the lunch hour.
ReplyDeleteSpent my best journalism years at 508 Young Street. Loved my different jobs and more importantly, the many friends i made. Took the 06 buyout and have been freelancing since. The money is not as good, but the freedom of not having to deal with the threat of layoffs is so much healthier. The DMN is not the same place anymore. A toast to all who leave today - in the end, you will find that parting with Belo is good for the soul.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the managers? If no managers got laid off, who are they going to manage?
ReplyDeleteManagers could be a second wave. That would make sense, having the managers to be let go deliver as many pink slips as possible before they're cut ...
ReplyDeletePlease provide a department list of those who have departed, instead of some piecemeal list.
ReplyDeleteFor those who are affected, God bless.
I think we're doing our best to provide a list.
ReplyDeleteI wish for names. At this point, we all know the cuts have gone beyond fat and muscle into bone. So there's no issue of talent, skill or honor. And to emphasize what others have said: There is life after. I don't make as much money (chiefly because of the self-employment tax), but I love what I do now as a freelancer. And there is always a need for people who communicate well. Kim Pierce
ReplyDeleteHow ironic -- my verification word was "shill"
ReplyDeleteAnyone know if they are finished yet?
ReplyDeleteQuo vadimus?
ReplyDeleteClassified is done as of noon.
ReplyDeleteThey're not finished yet. Some shifts haven't come in yet.
ReplyDeleteCOPY EDITORS: i've been asked to tell cut DMN copy editors about 2 open positions at a trade pub
ReplyDeleteI'm gone and I will miss all of you more than I can say. It has been an honor to work with such clever and loving people. I believe in what we accomplished at the DMN and hope there is a future for all newspapers everywhere. I would appreciate any advice or leads you might know of. Natalie Caudill Natalie.Caudill@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteSome of us are going to the West End Pub tonight. If you've been rifed drinks are on us! We love you guys.
ReplyDeleteCan I find out about those copy editing positions? who do I email?
ReplyDeleteThree in business. We're done.
ReplyDeleteWe're done as in business or everyone? And, WOW, that's a lot from business.
ReplyDelete10 reporters from Metro
ReplyDeleteDo we know if anyone who is off today has heard anything?
ReplyDeleteOne person (that I know of) who was off today was called in.
ReplyDeleteYes. If you were off, you would have probably received a call by now. I did, around noon.
ReplyDeleteWe're done on the fourth floor. Two part-time editors, one full-time editor, two writers, one Guide listings editor/writer.
ReplyDeletecan someone provide a rundown on today's events. So many posts to sift through. Sorry to all those who got the call from HR. Wish you the best
ReplyDeleteI'll aggregate the data this evening and put up a post with what everybody has sent.
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ReplyDeleteI'm an outsider looking in and am so sorry you're going through this. I've been through it three times in the past decade due to merger with operations moving to different cities.
ReplyDeleteMy packages always included a schedule identifying others laid off by title, gender, and age. This schedule was part of the separation agreement, prepared by lawyers, that I had to sign in order to receive my package; and I think it was there as part of some EEOC imperative.
Of course, in smaller companies (where I have worked), this list tells everything. At a company your size, I don't know if it's as helpful, but you will be able to get a headcount and some demographics.
Then again, I don't know if such a list was part of your package.
Yet another (insert descriptive phrase of your own choosing) person who doesn't understand the differences between the editorial board and the newsroom. Why this person would pick this forum to spout off his political views after a lot of hard working people were fired. Absolutely shameless. Why not picket a soldier's funeral while you are out and about. It would have about as much class.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 3:36, you're an idiot.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 3:39, what does it matter? Whoever is doing this is a kind and caring sole.
First of all, the person that posted at 3:39 is incorrect on the person he is naming. Second, why would someone try to do something evil like that by putting another person on the spot??? There is a place in Hades for people like you Anonymous 3:39.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what the person just said about the poster calling someone out. That person obviously has serious problems and doubt has any friends or loved ones. Psychotic.
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ReplyDeleteWell, we almost made it through the day before Rule No. 2 was violated. It lasted longer than I expected.
ReplyDeleteI am Spartacus ...
ReplyDeleteFor the sports copy editors, I know the Tulsa World's looking for someone. There's something up on sportsjournalists.com about it. Sorry to hear about everything that's going down. This sucks.
ReplyDeleteRod Dreher here. Three things:
ReplyDelete1. I am not operating this blog, though like everyone in the building, I'm reading it.
2. This terrible thing we're all living through has nothing to do with George W. Bush. Many of my conservative friends are convinced liberal bias is what's dooming newspapers, but I point out to them that liberal newspapers serving liberal audiences are in the same sinking boat as the rest of us. I wish the political bias arguments on either side were correct, because that would suggest a way out of this hole. But they're not.
3) Anyway, today should be about mourning for and helping the colleagues we've lost, and doing what we can going forward to make sure this is the last time the paper has to take a hit like this. It should not be about cheap recriminations.
I've killed the political crap and the comment that purported to ID me. For the most part, I am proud of everybody who has commented today. The very few execptions do not negate the fact that on a very hard day we've managed to stay in touch with our better angels.
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ReplyDeleteBill Moyers Journal had an awesome segment the other night. "Commercial" media is what's killing journalism. Not "corporate" media, not "liberal" media, not "conservative" media. "Commercial" media. Moyers' guests included the innovator of this Web site: http://www.democracynow.org/. Anybody who got laid off today should get a copy of the Bill Moyers Journal PBS broadcast from this past Friday night (or it might have been Saturday). Listening to what his guests were saying changed my whole outlook on journalism. You can probably order it through www.pbs.org. I got laid off today but I don't feel sorry for me. I feel sorry for American journalism and democracy. Free press isn't free if it's commercial.
ReplyDeleteAny cuts in editorial?
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not want anyone at the DMN to be out of a job, I am confused why, once again, the worker bees took the hits.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the mid-level managers and managers in this?
I thought one of our problems is that we are too top heavy.
Please explain.
...still no managers? In my section, we now have an editor for almost every staff member. Literally.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but anyone surprised that the grunts are the ones being given their walking papers while the professional meeting attenders will still be going to those meetings must be new or not paying attention. When you decide who stays and goes, you normally stay.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised, I guess. But I did think more editors would go if we were too top heavy?
ReplyDeleteWho are they going to edit?
We still have just as many layers of management. With fewer to manage.
"..still no managers? In my section, we now have an editor for almost every staff member. Literally."
ReplyDeleteWhy the manager envy? They'll get sacked or demoted after they sweep up the debris from this debacle. Make a prisoner dig his own grave, it saves the VIPs from putting forth energy and their own time.
It follows that the middle manager does the dirty job of firing all the peasants and then gets sacked himself.
ReplyDeleteWow, evidently non-christians are personae non gratae here. L'Chaim, ya'll.
ReplyDelete11 gone in Metro. None are editors.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe any managers/editors will be getting sacked. Almost makes me sorry I've turned down management repeatedly over the years......but just almost.
ReplyDelete"11 gone in Metro. None are editors."
ReplyDeleteUm, it's because there are out sourcing constituents who will be put in place of many of those pink slipped today. Mgrs. will be needed to put it all into shape for the next several weeks and then the next bloodbath will begin once protocols has been established. Soon it will only be top heavy on the top 2 tiers of A.H. Belo - CEO's and VPs.
I'm sorry for all of you at the DMN facing layoffs, and those that are left to "survive." I am an avid reader that has enjoyed your paper since I moved to Dallas in 83.
ReplyDeleteHaving performed layoffs at a large, local tech company, the managers go at a different time (general rule). They are needed to outplace people, then manage what is left, or perform the work that is left. If they are no longer necessary, then they will be outplaced (part of the same corporate layoff event, but a different day).
Blessings do come from change.
If past layoffs are any indication, I still don't think any metro editors will be getting sacked -- at any time. When it's done today, that's it. Management always takes care of itself -- look at every single department. At other newpapers, editors have been laid off or demoted, but not in Dallas.
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ReplyDeleteYou would be wrong 5:09. And that's all I'm saying.
ReplyDeleteThere was an agency meeting this afternoon and for now it seems like everyone there is safe except they were told that their jobs would start being outsourced within the next six months, so the paper needs them but would rather pay someone else to do the work.
ReplyDeleteThe fault, dear Brutus, lies with John McKeon, as well as Moroney.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 5:19: The "fault" ultimately lies with Decherd, Moroney, Decherd's sister, and the rest of his clueless family who purport to "run", "manage" and "operate" this company. Any notion to the contrary is nonsense. The fact is this company has been poorly managed for decades, and for Mr. Decherd to now blame "the economy" for its problems is his typical head-in-the-sand approach to everything.
ReplyDeleteThis is a terrible day, not just for the individuals involved but also for the industry. In fact, changes in technology have affected the viability of the newspaper industry forever. This is a problem everywhere and while it may feel momentarily good to demonize specific executives at TDMN or A.H. Belo, at the end of the day, it is the same story at every other major newspaper company in this country and beyond. Time and technology have passed this particular phase of the industry by. Now it's time to start inventing future models.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous 5:34: This story is familiar at other papers, but the DMN still makes money. Our colleagues at Riverside do not; hence, our problem.
ReplyDelete"so the paper needs them but would rather pay someone else to do the work."
ReplyDeleteAre you willing to work for less(much less) than 32K and reduced benefits? Then you might keep your job.
A.H. Belo is looking at bottom line - $$$ - quality and skill aren't even on Top Floor's mind now. It's all about the Board & shareholders. They're only looking at numbers, so they'll learn the lesson Startle Gram & Dell just learned about outsourcing.
(It's like Phileas Fogg shoving everything overboard from the hot air balloon to stay afloat, even the crew, propane tanks and burner, and thinking he'll somehow journey on in a ravaged craft)
Anonymous #2 at 5:34: The time for inventing future models was 10-15 years ago. Had this company had management with a clue then, we would not be where we are today. And no, this is not affecting other papers with good management as it is here. If this so-called "Board of Directors" were not controlled by the family with no clue, then the paper might have a hope for survival. It's not going to happen unless and until Decherd's tribe gets lost.
ReplyDeleteGoogle DMN Rif or Layoffs. If you haven't forgotten, DMN has been downsizing for years.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the subscription scandal and the rebate of all those advertising dollars, you know the money that actually subsidizes the newspaper; and now greatly compromised advertising budgets of most companies; apply this to the changing technology of the internet and that no one bothered to keep from giving away all stories, reports, editorials for FREE and you have one hell of a mess, not to mention a very painful paradigm shift much like many industries have suffered since the industrial revolution.
Anyone catch the story the other day on "ice" before the invention of the home refrigerator? That invention, which was created to allow for ice to be kept in the home, destroyed the major ice house companies since people could now get their own ice for free.
Video may have killed the radio star but the internet has killed the newspaper. And everyone ignored the all the signs.
I'm betting those local suburban papers now wish they'd never been assimilated into DMN.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 5:48 makes an excellent point about the lack of foresight. I think a lot of aging powers that be back in the day projected their scorn of rapidly changing technology onto the society as a whole and scored an air ball.
ReplyDeleteAn earlier Anonymous also made an excellent point about the role played by commercial journalism. It reminds me of the TV sitcom mom (don't remember which one, probably Roseanne) who warned her kid: "I gave you life, I can take it away."
Outsourcing full time jobs usually does not end up saving money, you have to train those people, have little control over what they really do or how they do it and they can charge you more once they have you hooked in. Outsourcing companies give you a good deal at first but then when the costs of their employees gets higher (and they do because believe it or not, people don't work for nothing) they pass that cost on to the companies paying for the outsourcing (and those employee costs have extra outsourcing company costs added to them, so you are not just paying for employees but for someone else to pay themselves and them). They are not looking the bottom line, if they were they would figure out who their high productivity employees were, keep them at their current, but probably not very large salaries and get rid of people that each day do not work to publish the paper. There are 5 executives that make a salary of over $200K with some of the total compensations topping $750K. Why don't we try taking the majority of their salaries while the times are bad and keep people that we may need later employed? Other CEOs and executives with other companies are taking very small (sometimes as small as $1) salaries to help out their companies (knowing that they will make other money) and also foregoing bonuses (3 of the 5 highly compensated execs received bonuses last year - on what you might ask considering that the paper was not making money and they were busy laying people off and cutting jobs). More responsible management is what gets you through the lean times, not laying off people who do the work to get the paper out.
ReplyDeleteThis is a "management" and "ownership" which has traditionally held no regard for anything but the bottom line return to shareholders and its own fat compensation packages. Everyone else has always been dispensable in the Decherd regime. Now we are seeing it all come to pass.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the accountability for inept management?
Anonymous 6:02. The Cosby Show. Cliff told maybe Theo: I brought you into this world. And I can take you out.
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ReplyDeleteLook at well outsourcing to IBM has worked out for us.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes and models of cars park at the back dock these days? We might start seeing changes there, too.
ReplyDeleteSpartacus, just ignore Anonymous 6:19. Deleting his or her posts is empowerment. Ignoring him or her will drive them nuts.
ReplyDeleteUpper Management is rumoured to be feverishly trying to decrease IBM's presence at DMN by lowering the server count. Yes, outsourcing has really done wonders for us... I just can't believe they can't learn from their own silly mistakes!
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is if this is supposedly about money, why are they eliminating some of the lowest paid people at the paper?
ReplyDeleteIt's all about money, Anonymous @ 6:43, but not about THEIR money. Oh no, heaven forbid upper management and ownership ever take any responsibility for their mismanagement. How dare anyone ever even think such a thing!
ReplyDelete"What I don't understand is if this is supposedly about money, why are they eliminating some of the lowest paid people at the paper?"
ReplyDeleteYou're forgetting benefits as well as salary but ultimately it's about the elite keeping dry as possible while everyone else below is considered ballast and therefore expendable. Do you think for one minute those Highland Park and University Park addresses are going to "take one for the team" and put themselves out of work? "No no... let the little people go, there not as important as we."
The DCC crowd doesn't really know how the nitty gritty is done beyond the concept of it, they just assume the little newspaper elves make it happen in their spare time after surfing the net and taking sick time off. "It can't be that difficult", they muse to themselves.
"Why, the paper will make deadline and get delivered - it always does!" (except when it doesn't... very soon)
Anyone punch in numbers between in-house tech and IBM outsourcing? Whoever ok'd that should be drawn and quartered. MILLIONS wasted and IBM has screwed the pooch numerous times, it makes the cue cat debacle look like a tiny "oopsie".
Lower waged people are losing their jobs because they aren't low enough waged for the bottom line. Does that answer your question?
A lot of journalists of color lost their jobs...right at the time when the ASNE annual newsroom census comes out. A coincidence they waited until after the report date? http://www.mije.org/richardprince/dallas-morning-news-cuts-claim-5-color
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the timing of the original date had to do with the end of first quarter before insurance/benefits/etc versus logistical reality. Legal and HR threw a monkey wrench into the whole shebang and were several days off of the first rumored date. Legal and HR have to make sure every i is dotted and every t is crossed before anything happens. The best laid plans of mice and men, y'know...
ReplyDeleteRumor is a disproportionate number of women were laid off. Can we get an unofficial show of hands real quick?
ReplyDelete1 here
ReplyDeleteWithout knowing names from all departments or the staff's gender breakdown, we cannot say yet whether women were disproportionately hit.
ReplyDeleteBut by my straw poll, names cut from the third floor tended to skew female.
I have subscribed to the DMN for decades. My condolences to those laid off today. May each of you find fulfillment in your next venture. You will be missed by us readers. I wish we could do something to avoid all of this.
ReplyDeleteWHY, WHY, WHY were there no editors in the newsroom laid off? I just returned from a very painful "cry in your beer" booster party for 3 of the folks laid off from our department -- all very talented, hard working people. I am sick and tired of all of this. Are we worker bees eternally destined to get the shaft at this paper? Who is the little grubby guy gonna push around the newsroom now?
ReplyDeleteI think the worker bees are about to be replaced with much cheaper, less qualified, worker bees. They will need the editors to back stop these inexperienced reporters who will provide all the community news coverage under the supervision of the editors.
ReplyDeleteI am a former DMNer and my heart goes out to all of the people that were laid off. Please know that if you can write and have strong grammatical skills then you will be able to locate other employment opportunities. The opportunities probably will not be in journalism, but in a related field that will provide more longevity than you have previously had. I left in November and while I miss my co-workers, I have thoroughly enjoyed being in a field that is truly promising and offers a future that I can see clearly.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, all of us "Stepford" worker bees will sit in our meetings tomorrow with George and Bob and politely listen and nod our muted heads in a very understanding way, when all we really want to do is scream obscenities. But we have to cling to our jobs by our finger nails like every other middle class American and pray we're not on the list next time. It's pathetic and maddening.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to hear that there are job opportunities out there for a lot of former staffers, altho I know for a fact there are NO jobs for photographers. Even if you wanted to shoot weddings (why would you), in this economy the opportunities are dwindling. And, btw....photo dept. lost 2 women today.
ReplyDeleteoops, sorry.....photo dept. lost 3 women today.
ReplyDeleteSo, I'm leaving the HR guy's office after hearing the official, carefully crafted adios spiel, and in a remarkable display of dorkery, my supervisor, who had, up to that moment, cleverly kept his mouth shut, says: "Thanks for your service." Cue the spit take. I knew he was a gossipy, anal little dweeb, but, man, what a goof to say that.
ReplyDeleteYou all are in my thoughts. Hang in there.
ReplyDelete-Jack Pointer (DMNer 1995-2001)
p.s. Miller, write me: jackpointer@gmail.com
Ex DMN-er here ... 10-27-04 RIF ... What you see in the lack of mid-level manager cuts is what you have seen since the DTH died. Management is clueless unless challenged by outside forces. The Clueless Class loves to surround itselfe with equals and gripe about the creative. What they've never understood at the DMN is that it's the reporters and lower lever folks that create a newspaper with vibrant coverage of a fascinating city/state/nation. If you look at the serious journalism performed by the DMN since the DTH was bulldozed, I think you'll find a steady waning of interest by the entrenched mid-levels and higher-ups. It's all a product of the family's economic thirst. Read the Bigham story the great Louisville Courier days and the collapse of an empire. Same thing here, only less elegant and thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteMe need spellcheck.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people are thinking of you today, I'm sure. You who love what you do will find a way to contribute to whatever form our current fourth estate takes. We have watched these cuts from afar, and we continue to think of you guys who keep hanging in there.
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourselves.
hmmmmm......by my count, it appears that there was only one person in management laid off and I believe that was from the business department. And, it seems as tho they were already practically a skeleton staff after the last go. Guess the rest of us are hanging around to see the managers play musical chairs....."Pop Goes the Weasel!"
ReplyDeleteI wonder What Robert Decherd will receive as a bonus after the layoffs?
ReplyDeleteI count 50 people gone. I fear what management has done is give readers 50 fewer reasons to read the paper. It's already starting to read like a printed version of TV news. It seems to me that putting out a product of lower value is not the way to position yourself for the future.
ReplyDeleteIs it hard to understand that folks who read are usually smart people? Intelligent individuals generally prefer something stimulating and challenging to read. You cultivate an audience by producing not only something unique but also thought provoking, amusing and worthwhile. Watering down the product while raising the price is not going to save the publication. Neither is providing an online version that is difficult to use and impossible to navigate. The priorities for the DMN's survival do not make sense.
ReplyDeleteI find it ironic that an institution that relies on the right of free speech would make it a condition of the exit package to not speak or write ill of the paper.
ReplyDeleteI'm so anxious and sad about this all--as a former DMN-er and as a reader.
ReplyDeleteYou know who they'll outsource to, don't you? The same people they laid off, but at lower pay and with no benefits. And you''ll probably say yes because newspaper work is so hard to quit.
Best of luck to everyone.
Subscriptions only provide earnings indirectly. Ads are what makes the newspaper world go round, and the rates for those ads are based on subscription. Look at Classifieds to see why DMN is dying. Craig's list has decimated all for profit ad listing services. Auto and real sstate are the bread winners for DMN and STelegram but the economy is playing havoc with those industries as well; look to see a number of auto dealerships go bust in the next few months and all that advertising revenue going away with it. Retail advertising is also in the dumps.
ReplyDeleteThere a just a few remaining reasons to get the local newspaper now that most national news is on the internet: Obits, local sports, local arts, Homes, Auto and maybe Jobs (curse you, Craigs list!!) and the crossword section; anything else can be easily found on Yahoo News or other web news sources, well except for Metro, you know, those local OMG WTF stories.
Let's face it we're at the same place many industries were a century ago when new technology won out over tradition and habit. We're like the gas light company who convince ourselves that Edison's new electric bulb is just a passing fad.
A new day has dawned and we hedged our bets against the new technologies and the subsequent dissemination of news and information.We lost and must struggle now to reinvent ourselves. iPhone and Kindle, as well as the home PC or laptop, are the new reality for seeking information and actual newsprint subscriptions will be relegated to the last remaining purists, technophobes and luddites.
Fewer hard copies will be printed (hint: invest in printer and ink companies and/or the next generation of Kindle). Someone is going to have to figure out how to make money for publishers online after years of users getting the product for free. Find a viable solution to this and you'll be a millionaire.
Does seem like local news is the overriding reason to get the paper these days. Too bad the local reporter in my neck of the woods (southern Dallas county) just got laid off...
ReplyDeleteI know some over-paid marketing people at B that should be let go. Sorry to see/hear all you content people are out the door. Best of luck to you.
ReplyDeleteThis paper has never done the right thing.
ReplyDeleteIf DMN were the only newspaper to start dying then one could justify total outrage toward "Uncle Belo" but the entire industry has been caught behind a new paradigm that marks the end of the Newspaper Press era. Arrogance and blind faith in the status quo have crippled the newspaper industry.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing about pruning a tree is that if you know what you're doing, the tree will come back healthier, if not and you are just blindly hacking at every limb in sight, then the tree probably won't survive. We'll soon see if the A. H. Belo's chief pruner knows what he is doing.
Need a laugh today?
ReplyDeleteI am informed (by a DMN colleague who remains behind) that when the laid-off newsies went down to HR, they "gave them all leather-bound books with DVDs and forms for writing resumes valued at (they were proud to tell you) $700."
This demonstrates the mindset that's going on in DMN's HR. Is there anyone here who really wouldn't have just rather had $700 cash to walk out with, to help tide them over till the first TWC benefits arrive?
We may already be seeing our future as, if not a Murdoch-owned news property, a Murdoch-like news property. One of our blogs is trumpeting "Ghoulish Austin mom wants dead son's sperm", as if she has some personal plans to consume it herself. The actual story is that she wants her son's DNA preserved posthumously to possibly carry out his wishes to have had sons. With less people to write stories that are compelling in their own right, look for us to make do instead with the most lurid and salacious headlines we can get by with.
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the class of '04,I promise you that the shock and grief will fade. And, although this may seem obvious, the basics of caring for yourself are important during this change: keep busy, spend time with family and hobbies, eat well, exercise. All of you are in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteTrust me when I tell you that "the leather-bound books with DVDs and forms for writing resumes valued at (they were proud to tell you) $700" were regifted leftovers or promotions never intended for those now RIF'd. HR may be trying to spin how gracious A.H. Belo is but I can promise you that Belo paid nowhere near $700 each for that stuff unless it was originally intended for execs.
ReplyDeleteBad form for HR to mention the prize value with no option to decline it for cash. Tacky, tacky, tacky but for those left the beatings will continue until morale is restored. Say "thank you Uncle Belo!" and walk away.
As a long-time reader who has worked with about 20 reporters over the years, I am very sorry to see this day. Those persons cut as well as those persons remaining have my sincere sympathy. As for turning around the DMN's profitability, I hope your financial people take a look at how the Washington Post's on-line edition forces one to view an advertisement for 10 or so seconds before showing the content.
ReplyDeleteKerry, Lee, Lori, Frank, Jill, Cindy, Laura and the names I don't yet know... Thoughts are with you all... as one of the 10/27 RIFers I know the disappointment, shock and bitter feelings that most of us felt then... eventually they fade and the focus is on brighter days... it's obvious employee loyalty means little these days when we're the carrying much of the load for executives who have no qualms about big bonuses and bottom lines...luck and better days to all of you
ReplyDelete