More relaxing reading while waiting for the inevitable

From Mother Jones:

On a bright spring day in a wisteria-bedecked courtyard full of earnest, if half-drunk, conference attendees, we were commiserating with a fellow journalist about all the jobs we knew of that were going unfilled, being absorbed or handled "on the side." It was tough for all concerned, but necessary—you know, doing more with less.
"Ah," he said, "the speedup."

Points printed an edited version this past Sunday. (And kudos to the editor with the intestinal fortitude to make that a cover story in the DMN the week or so before the whatever whatevers. May her tribe increase.)  Here is the full version. 

A different management approach to hard times

FRESNO, Calif. - Some people give a bit back to their community. Then there’s Fresno County School Superintendent Larry Powell, who is giving back $800,000, his compensation for the next three years.

Until his term expires in 2015, Powell will run 325 schools and 35 school districts with 195,000 students, all for less than a starting California teacher earns.

“How much do we need to keep accumulating?’’ asks Powell, 63. “There’s no reason for me to keep stockpiling money.’’

Full story here. 

And an eerie silence covers the land

Unless somebody out there tells me different, looks like the newsroom ends another full week of paychecks. Which I realize is no solace for our ad-side colleagues who lost jobs yesterday. Have a good weekend and be thankful we aren't in the Hurricane Irene bulls-eye. It can always be worse.

Smoke 'em if you've got 'em

As the saying goes. We've got a break in the action. I've not heard even a whisper about whether today's layoffs mean anything about whether more will come tomorrow. The most definitive count I've been given for today is from a comment on the previous post:

The advertising side lost 16 dedicated, creative and enterprising workers today. They deserve support and appreciation, which is more than they ever got from management.

I don't know if anyone from marketing was also let go.  I also do not know what positions were affected, if any were managers.

Layoffs today in advertising and marketing

Multiple sources report layoffs. One commenter here says "8 so far."  I do not know if there have been more since that comment was posted.  (Another now says "17 or 18.")

The purpose of this blog has been to report newsroom events. However, if anybody from other departments who has been RIFed wants to post a farewell here, you are welcome to post a comment or send me an email.

Does this mean newsroom cuts are also set for this week? Which would mean tomorrow. Based on my lousy track record from last week I refuse to speculate, but if anybody out there thinks they know, we'd all appreciate any information..

What the predictions are like

This week? Next week? Next month? Bermuda? Puerto Rico? Minor trim or bloodbath? At this point I trust none of them. I would be very surprised if there was no truth to the basic line that layoffs are coming. The rest of the chatter is all over the map, so to speak. 

Should I publish the rumors?

I have no way to independently confirm the tips I am getting. Right now it looks like this is twice that confident predictions about when the layoffs will happen have been wrong. Unless something happens this afternoon.

Is it better that I let us all know what people think they know? Or am I adding tension that doesn't need to be there? If the bosses would give us even a hint of real information, that would solve the problem. I'm getting more traffic here than many of the DMN "community" blogs, so I can tell management that there's very high interest.

Yes, I know you have legal restrictions about what you can say and when. Those restrictions are not absolute. We know that because you told us about the previous cuts before the ax fell. Why can't you either tell us these rumors are all false, or that you are working on restructurings or RIFs or right-sizings in the offing and that you expect they will be finished by some particular date? Or that no date has been set and negotiations about the size and shape are still ongoing? Something? In the absence of good information, your staff will obsess about anything that looks like a clue. Not good for morale or productivity.

On the other hand, if today really is not a "day," that means another week of full paychecks for us all.  Tension or not, I will not complain about that.

As the Scarecrow told Dorothy...

Dorothy: Now which way do we go?
Scarecrow: Pardon me, this way is a very nice way.
Dorothy: Who said that?
[Toto barks at scarecrow]
Dorothy: Don't be silly, Toto. Scarecrows don't talk.
Scarecrow: [points other way] It's pleasant down that way, too.
Dorothy: That's funny. Wasn't he pointing the other way?
Scarecrow: [points both ways] Of course, some people do go both ways.  

We have a commenter with a "good source" who says that today is not the day. But we had a commenter with a "good source" who said it would be. It is still early for most of the newsroom on a normal day. Does anybody have anything more definitive to contribute?

Crumbs

Two different sources today telling me that tomorrow is going to be the day, or "a" day. Also the comment on the prior post. I don't know if they are right. Maybe they're just hearing what's been posted here, passed along secondhand. I don't think that is the case. We'll know soon enough. If it's true, and depending on what happens, morituri te salutant.

Reading entrails

From a blogfriend:

A couple of Metro editors have altered travel plans this week so that they will be in the office on Friday.

Is this an indication of events to come? Since the corporate managers are saying nothing in public, we are reduced to playing detective with whatever clues anybody can find.