McClatchy layoffs?

Bumped back to the top... anyone hear about more layoffs in McClatchy? KC Star's Sunday sports editor apparently was let go.

 

This happened nearly two weeks ago.

 

Yup, and last day was Friday. Sad.

 

Wait, they had a Sunday sports editor?

 

And now the fun really begins for the Record. Sports editor Bob Highfill left for a job with the local wine council on Friday (he was also wine columnist) and preps writer Thomas Lawrence's last day is Thursday. He's becoming a PIO with Caltrans. High school football kicked off last Friday.

 

Jimmy Burch got cut. A damn good guy, and LeBreton quit. Had an interesting farewell on his Facebook page where he more or less pissed all over the "reinvented" newsroom. Good for him. Surprised I haven't seen this, or it's hiding.

In less than a decade, they've lost Jim Reeves, Randy Galloway and Gil LeBreton. That's more than enough in itself to tank a rag. Which the Startlegram has become. And there was a day the DMN was the Encyclopedia Britannica of sports sections. Now it's gone the way of Encyclopedia Britannica.

 

The Star-Telegram, especially the sports section, is really getting depressing. They don't even have the huge "Which College FB Game is Going to be on Which Channel Tomorrow" thing on Fridays anymore.

Up until two, three years ago, Fridays also featured a multi-page insert for Fry's, a big discount electronics (and stuff) chain. I always enjoyed looking through it and thinking about what I'd like to have but probably would not buy. Now, Fry's has a full-page ad at the back of the sports section on Fridays and Sundays ... and that's it.

 

Happy to report longtime Record reporter and close friend Scott Linesburgh has been rehired. Also, I could be behind on this, but as of a week or so ago, The Record was looking to hire another sports scribe.

 

Great news indeed. And, at least from my Twitter feed, I think Thomas is stringing on Friday nights, along with Mike Klocke and Kelly Jones.

 

I've heard mention of this "reinvention" bullshit twice now, LeBreton and some other poster a while back. What is it anyway? LeBreton mentioned it but nobody has told the world what the hell it is? Don't these newspaper chains realize anyone with a brain in their organizations is mocking the higher ups behind their backs? People need to support their families so they don't rock the boat until it's too absurd to go on (LeBreton?) Sounds to me like McClatchy is battling Gannett for most ridiculous insulting news organization of them all. Isn't McClatchy cash deprived (going broke)? Cheers to LeBreton. Somebody fill us in please.

 

That would be correct. While the newsroom has been gutted by 80 percent, as has been noted, the Friday night freelance lineup is a San Joaquin County Dream Team that includes, in addition to Thomas, Klocke and Kelly, former Modesto Bee reporter Rich Estrada and ex-Manteca Bulletin et al. scribe Ike Dodson. That's Murderer's Row in them parts.

 

When Reeves left, his farewell column spoke about the change in the industry that was happening and "not in a good way." It's been a cancer at the S-T for a while. This is just the latest group of idiots who think they'll re-invent the wheel.