Gannett announces furloughs

The entry level salary of a copy editor in 2005 was $36,000 at my midsized paper. Seems like most everyone should be making over $38,000 unless they really lowered new hire salaries after the recession.

 

I started in Gannett in 2015. Path has gone about like this:

2015 - Hired as web/print producer, $32K

2016 - Hired as reporter, $34K

2019 - First raise, $35.5K

 

Don't forget that raises have been an afterthought at most places, too. So if you start at $32k or $36k, you may still be there after a couple years.

Also, Gatehouse had a lot of smaller, rural papers. Guarantee more were making under $40k at those shops.

 

Sucks for all, really sucks for those with the misfortune of making 39-40k, in which case your 3 weeks reduction puts you under 38.

 

That 38K number is there for a reason. My experience is Gannett has a ton of reporters who fall in the 40K-45K range.

 

I forgot about Gatehouse. Knew they paid significantly less than legacy Gannett.

 

In NC, Gov. Cooper has waived the waiting period.

 

Guess I would, too. But I'm at neither. Never been Gannett, and am kinda relieved I'm not with the other. Both are horrible to employees ... unless you're at publisher and up, which will be boasting about massive profit surges at the next quarterly announcement complete with bonuses.

 

I assure you there will be no boasts about massive profit surges for this or the next quarter of 2020.

 

They'd appreciate it if there was anything to do. Anywhere to go. It's just another regular week, only with no pay.

 

Which is why newspaper reporter gets listed as the worst of all 300 jobs in that book of the worst 300 jobs you can have. No. 299 was something like logger.

 

I was just thinking this is a masterful move by Gannett. Forces people to work during the furlough for free (wink wink) so they'll have some stories they can turn in during the other 3 weeks of the month. The reporter or editor, who has nothing to do via stay at home orders, stockpiles some stories to unveil the rest of the month. There's nothing else to do, why not make your job easier for the 3 weeks of the month you do work? Meanwhile the company still gets 40 hours out of you.