Lee joins the cutback club

I’m waiting for MNG/DFM to drop the bomb next. Expecting the most severe furlough and pay cut from it.

 

Using a pandemic to enact furloughs and pay cuts is the ultimate scumbag move.

 

I'm with Lee, just found out, literally got off the conference call seconds ago.

I don't sweat these things because I'm going to be moving on soon, anyway. Frankly, I was hoping they'd be offering buyouts again because of the extra unemployment being offered right now.

Two weeks this quarter, guess we'll just have to take that into account with our finances. At least there's nothing to spend money on other than bills right now, we'll be fine.

 

I'm not even sure I know many newspapers "chains" are left nowadays, but I will be stunned if every single one of them doesn't enact furloughs. In fact, I think it's likely that Gannett/Gatehouse will get that snowball rolling downhill. Chains will no longer have any fear of being the first or going it alone; they'll just be one among many (or all).

 

I get that, but I'm not entirely sure what can be done. Nobody is making money. Pretty much every single newspaper right now is lucky to even still be operating. In some cases, they probably shouldn't be.

This will only be the start of it. I expect more furloughs to come. Our publisher talked about how once this pandemic ends we'll be in great shape, that businesses will be flush and clamoring to advertise.

I like our publisher, actually, he's a good dude and is good to us, but I almost started laughing on the call at that. First off, this thing isn't ending anytime soon. Second, the idea that it will be business back to normal (only better!) is ridiculous. I can't fathom how many businesses won't even return after this. The economy is going to take a colossal nosedive. Newspapers were already failing, this just speeds it up.

Again, I cannot stress this enough: If you are in this business and aren't either already planning to move on or at least accepting you're losing your job sooner than later, that's now on you.

 

The most frightening thing is losing advertisers who’ve just been continuing out of habit. If they stop due to being closed then it gives them Pause to actually realize “shit this investment in print ads does nothing” they may never come back.

we’re all fucked

 

Obligatory Mary Junck post. Carry on.

 

I have a comment about furloughs and I would like all suits to answer me. Those of you who hate Fredrick I would hope at least respect my passion unveiled here. ...
I've been thinking. As expected, all the companies are going to be furloughing and slashing. Yet everybody is giving away coronavirus coverage for FREE to the public, going against the subscription models that could be picking up steam. So ... a chance to make some money and stay afloat and treat ones own reporters with grace is out there. And the companies in some feeble way of trying to look socially responsible give away the stories for free. Great decision by the suits? Compassionate to communities? B.S. They are paying for that decision by cutting the pay of reporters, furloughing them. This is one of the disgraceful moments in a long line of disgraceful moments of newspapers. Hey owners ... how about you charge the public for the fricking corona stories and maybe you will save the lives of your OWN EMPLOYEES in the process. Your advertisers certainly aren't helping anybody by dropping their ads and abandoning newspapers faster than ever, even in crisis. Your advertisers aren't trying to help keep you afloat so you can write important stories.
But no ... a feeble P.R. attempt in giving away corona stories for free. Most of those stories aren't vital. The word from the governors offices and president's office are readily available.
So go ahead and furlough your own people and cut your own people. This is the moment all newspaper employees should resign together at the same time! Oh wait, that's what the suits want. They'll just cut more print days now that they have the chance.
To the companies who are giving away corona stories and yet laying off and furloughing their OWN PEOPLE producing the stories, shame, shame, shame.
Cmon suits, explain this one. Fredrick is waiting!!!

 

Heaven forbid newspapers charge the public for the free corona stories and try to make some money to pay their own reporters instead of furloughing them.

 

There can only be 3 possible reasons at all for anyone to advertise with a newspaper anymore:

1. They're not paying attention to their money and are just approving expenses without looking.
2. They're loyal to a longtime ad rep and just buy the ad to give him/her some commission.
3. They have a very small group of existing (re: old) customers who still actually rely on the paper for specific ads.

That's it. Nobody can be dumb enough to think advertising in papers will help them otherwise.

 

Yes, a lot of dumb decisions have been made, but this ship sailed years ago. It's over.

Who's going to pay for news anymore? Why would anyone do that?

If I wanted a hamburger and 19 places offered one for free and the 20th place charged me 5 bucks, and the quality was basically the same, why would I pay?