A fair question

A reader writes:

None of the layoffs in Metro were managers. Were there any managers laid off in any department? Every manager was more valuable than any of the reporters, photographers, etc. who lost jobs? Some of the reporters who lost jobs were experienced in years and their subject area. Are editors who have not worked as reporters for many years expected to step in instantly and to do as well? Even a good editor is not necessary a competent reporter, just as some good reporters are not good editors.

I have no ill will toward the managers who kept their jobs today. Like reporters, they are trying to do their best work. This was a terrible day for the survivors as well as those who were cut. But I think this reader raises a fair question that can also be found in many comments. I know that Bob Mong and George Rodrigue have meetings scheduled. I hope this is a question they will answer without needing to be asked.

An idea among the comments

This was buried inside the comments on an earlier post. It's an idea that somebody might be interested in following up on. If not, please do not insult the post-er or the idea. Everyone is trying to come up with ways to make what is terrible a little less bad. Is this a good way? A reader writes:

A well-meaning manager asked me to pass along this thought:

Several years ago, in advance of the first RIFs, the newsroom collected money and divided it among those who lost their jobs. This manager said he had heard that the money was very helpful. And suggested that if someone not a manager wanted to create such a fund now, that it might be helpful this time.

I told him that I was distantly linked to that fund back then. That it was a lot of work. That we started collecting well in advance of the RIF. That there had been a lot more of us.

He was not comfortable making the suggestion publicly and asked a reporter -- me -- if I would try to get it onto this blog. Because he knows I'm the kind of person who posts comments on this blog. Which I am.

Somebody stepped up to create this blog. Perhaps someone will want to step up to try to administer a rapid collection. If you do so, I expect you'd find *some* financial support among the managers.

A local job possibility

A reader sends in:

Saginaw High School in Northwest Tarrant County has a journalism position open. If any of you are interested or know of anyone who is, please feel free to contact: cbradshaw@ems-isd.net

Juggling chainsaws

I can't pull out the iinformation now. But I'll go through all the comments tonight and create an aggregate post of numbers and names. So keep on posting data or parting notes. I will get it together later.

Post farewell messages here

If anyone leaving wants to post a farewell, let's leave the comments
on this post for that. Sympathetc comments of support can go on other posts. Let's leave this one for those who got cut.

Frank Trejo has posted a comment.

Noli nothis permittere te terere

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.

200 gone from the whole DMN?

A TV-watching reader writes:

A.H.Belo rep told Fox 4 News that the 500 company-wide cuts include 200 at the DMN...that's according to the story they aired tonight on the state of journalism. For what it's worth.

Non-newsroom cuts

A commenter asks about non-newsroom layoff numbers. I'm not going to make an effort to get those. Too much already on my plate. But if
others want to post comments here with information, go ahead.

Cuts at DMN start today

But newsroom is tomorrow. Moroney sent this out this morning:

Previously Announced Reduction in Force

 

DALLAS (DATE, 2009) – As part of cost-cutting measures previously announced by parent company A. H. Belo Corporation, The Dallas Morning News is beginning today a company-wide reduction in force. The majority of the actions will take place today and tomorrow. As A. H. Belo stated in January, this initiative will affect approximately 500 jobs across all of its properties, but numbers for the individual companies were not disclosed.

 

"Our company continues to face unprecedented economic challenges during this prolonged recession, making this staff reduction a very difficult but necessary decision," said Jim Moroney, publisher and CEO of The Dallas Morning News. "As The Dallas Morning News evolves to meet these challenges, we remain committed to serving our readers and community in important and unique ways."

 

A reader has set up a Twitter group

The reader writes:

I set up a group twitter account for us. The only prblem is that the procedure for being able to post on it is slightly awkward. People need to:

1. Go to twitter.com/dmncuts and follow it.
2. LOGIN to twitter as dmncuts with the password dmncuts2009 and follow themselves.
3. Then, as the day-of progresses, they can tweet to that group by sending a text message or update to their twitter in this format: D dmncuts blah blah blah.

Yeah, it's not perfect, but the autofollow site I found only checks for new people every 6 hours. :-/

This way, we can update from our phones, etc., while things are happening.

We can document on a moment-by-moment basis. Cause that's what we do.

We're journalists.

If you know of a better way to do this, I think it's a worthwhile idea. It's less conspicuous than having the blog up at work.

The Twitter group is not affiliated with this blog and I neither endorse nor not. I think that our bosses won't mind us checking in here every so often on D Day. They'll have more their minds than this. But let a thousand flowers bloom and all that.