See last post

The current chatter is the old chatter. Nothing new about timing. I wish I had something to tell you. I wish the bosses saw fit to share enough information to let us plan our lives better. Somebody thinks this is a smart way to do this. Somebody thought CueCat was smart.

Nothing and nothing and more nothing

If I had it, I'd post it.  If it hasn't happened by now,  rumors of this week must have been wrong. Unless something is happening right now. If anybody knows different, you know how to contact me.

This week?

One blogfriend says this is the week for some of it. Says it's from a good source. Another blogfriend says to watch for the boxes. The day before the previous layoffs, the cardboard boxes appeared.

But if the consistent rumors are right, it won't all be on the same day this time. Boxes may not show up until actually needed.

Nothing new in rumors about the actual targets for cuts.

Some job possibilities in academia

From a former DMN-er:

Wichita State, an urban-serving research university, is seeking a
scholar who can bring expertise in advertising and branding (creative
and/or account management), recent and successful advertising industry
experience, and the ability to teach quantitative research methods.

The salary will be $50,000+ per year.

To discuss the position or arrange a meeting at AEJMC, contact Interim
Director Lou Heldman, lou.heldman@wichita.edu

To review the complete job description and to apply for this position,
please go to http//Wichita.edu/wsujobs

And:

Ole Miss seeks candidates for several  journalism faculty jobs. Details and applications will be available at jobs.olemiss.edu. The job openings are:

Assistant or Associate Professor in Visual Journalism (tenure-track)
Assistant Professor of Integrated Marketing Communication (tenure-track)
Assistant Professor or Instructor in Multimedia Journalism
Assistant Professor or Instructor/International Programs Coordinator

 And:

The Indiana State University Communication Department is in search of an instructor or associate professor to fill a one-year special purpose faculty appointment. The job comes with benefits.

For more details, find the posting here:

https://jobs.indstate.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1311617756425

Click here

http://make-everything-ok.com/
Worth a smile if nothing else.

Cuts have happened today -- I've heard nothing about newsroom so far

Production at North Plant. IT. I have no numbers or other details. If you have information you'd like to share or if you have lost your job and would like to deliver a farewell, email it here. The rumors have been consistent that this set of layoffs would not happen on a single day. If true, nobody can feel safe because they haven't been notified today.

One other rumor to report: Most of the earlier chatter has been about editors and production. I am hearing that editorial is also concerned. House editorials have always been a luxury, a luxury that the bosses wanted. It's a small shop that works hard and has that recent Pulitzer. It has evolved greatly from the reflexive right-wing offerings produced in decades past. Is it now a luxury that the bosses no longer believe they can afford at present levels? There is no content more commonly available today than opinion. Is quality enough?

Hot rumors? Just hot heat

I have nothing new. Just what we all know: Any time more than two of us are talking together in the building, chances are excellent that this is one thing that we are talking about. Everybody is worried. Productivity? Not good for it.  Unless the cuts will be an unprecedented bloodbath, many more of us will still be here when they are over. A little additional transparency now would stifle the useless churning over no-facts and make it a little bit easier to put out a paper or generate content or whatever it is we are supposed to be doing. Weather stories. Our readers would not know tomorrow that it was hot today unless we tell them.

A newsroom is filled with pattern-seeking animals. If we aren't given information, we will generate those patterns out of whatever is handy. This is doubleplus ungood.

Will DMN layoffs happen before the iPhone 5 is released?

A recap of what we think we know: Plans are well along for layoffs. Likely to happen in the next month or so. Likely to focus more on editors than reporters.  Likely to force remaining editors and reporters to do more production using the capabilities of Newsgate. (In possible confirmation of that, Metro has just scheduled "refresher" Newsgate classes for reporters.)
The death of Quick was not part of the larger layoff plan but was its own specific demise.

Rumors have not carried to me about layoff numbers or how high into management the layoffs might go. Level of tension is high, but is that a clue about the size of cuts?

Current open positions are staying open or are being filled from inside. As with every summer, the interns are doing good work generating stories and papering over some of the gaps.

How is the company doing financially? The top managers took the conference call about second quarter financials on Thursday. None of the questions included anything about possible layoffs. Here are some highlights.

Barry Lucas - Gabelli & Company - Analyst
Can you tell us how many people are actually paying for one digital device, or is that possible to break out?

Jim Moroney - A. H. Belo Corporation - Executive Vice President
It is certainly possible to break out, but we said that we are just going to hold off on that number because the minute we put that number out it is just going to be all that we are going to talk about. I will tell you we continue to add digital-only in every single one of the channels through which we distribute, and we are encouraged by where we are today.

Robert Decherd - A. H. Belo Corporation - Chief Executive Officer
Barry, what we said about that previously still holds. We want to get into the first quarter of next year and see what a full year looks like. These are modest numbers. I don't want to give you the impression that there is some fantastic breakthrough that we are going to announce next spring, but as Jim said, they are meaningful in the sense that we know there's a market. It's a niche market but we want to see how it progresses, what the usage patterns are, how much time do people spend on these sites and be able to come out with something that's meaningful.

That does not sound like someone keeping a huge success hidden. Page views are down only 20 percent since the paywall went up, they said. Is most of the traffic therefore to parts of the site outside the paywall? That was not asked.

On the other hand:

We continue to anticipate full year 2011 adjusted EBIDTA in the range of $45 million to $50 million, which assumes no gains from real estate dispositions. As of June 30, the Company had approximately $50 million of cash and cash equivalents, had no borrowings outstanding at its bank credit facility, and remained in compliance with bank covenants. This strong cash position and debt free balance sheet enabled our Board of Directors to declare a quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share payable on September second, 2011 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 12, 2011.

Based on that, if you are an employee and a stockholder,  you've hedged your bets. You may lose your job, but you'll get a dividend because the company has such a "strong cash position and debt free balance sheet."

If you have information to share, please send it to me at dmncuts@gmail.com.  Information is power. Maybe not much power, but better to know than to not.

(Those latest rumors about iPhone release? Early or mid-September. You're welcome.)

Quick cleanup and the 2nd quarter financials

I chose the wrong day to be away from the computer. Frontburner and Unfair Park and Mixmaster have had details about the end of Quick, along with some comments or explanation from Moroney.   I have only a small amount more to add. The basics: Quick is ended. Next issue will be its last. How many lost jobs? I'm told it's 9 which includes a pair of parttimers. I'm told that four fulltime jobs were from the remaining Quick newsroom. If anybody would like to confirm or fine-tune those numbers, please add a comment or send me an email.

I'm told the people who were fired did get some kind of severance package, but I don't know how much.

Was this part of the rumored layoffs? Moroney's told Unfair Park that this was something that was going to happen, on its own, because Quick was never able to make money. So are there other layoffs coming? If you can pull a clear answer from what Moroney has said, please send in a comment.

Today's other news was the release of second quarter financials. Read it here. It is not pleasant reading. Down and down and down. DMN circulation up a tiny amount. Does this mean jobs will be cut?

A note to those who lost jobs today: As with the last layoffs, I'm happy to offer this blog as a place to post any farewells you'd like to share. Add a comment or send me an email.

Getting out ahead of the wave -- does anybody know of jobs available?

After the last round of layoffs, I asked for alerts about jobs and other activities that would be useful to the suddenly jobless and posted what was sent to me. I am happy to try that starting now. No time like the present, as my auntie always said. Put it in comments or send me an email.