Seattle Times seeking Kraken/NHL reporter

Yeah, none of this is any less strange even after Geoff Baker checked in (which, given the history of this board as an anonymous outlet, is pretty notable and impressive). We were wondering where some unaccounted for, important Times people were in all this and he's the only one to check in, which should be appreciated. But it's still strange.

 

Yeah, if anything, Geoff's account makes it even stranger. When even the beat partner is caught off guard - and he was part of the hiring process - then that leads to even more questions.

I appreciate Geoff responding, considering the awkward position he's now in. I'd really like to know more from Seattle management, though that's unlikely from a legal standpoint.

 

I think the expression fish or cut bait is very appropriate in their decision. People are let go for all kinds of reasons.

 

You've made several vague comments in this thread that insinuate you have knowledge of the situation. Whether you do or do not, the vagueness does not help the discussion, and in fact only stokes more curiousity and questions.

Also, regardless of management's reason, they're taking a hit in public perception with this decision largely because of how it has been handled. That potentially hurts readership and revenue, not to mention morale of remaining employees.

So, even if they have valid reasons, they have bungled the execution to the potential detriment of the paper.

 

How have they bungled this, though?

What we know is, they fired an employee shortly before she would be getting Guild protection.

She says she has no idea why and received no notice that her performance was subpar. Do we accept that as the God's honest truth? Does the Times have a history/reputation of doing stuff like this?

 

No. I don't know why she was fired but the Times does not have to reveal anything. NFL coaches are fired for personal reasons or "because we didn't like the direction" or "we had different philosophies."

Maybe that's the case here.

Firing no. Layoffs yes.

 

I've had seven professional jobs. All of them had probationary periods. In two of them I was told my performance was not up to par and written up once, so I improved and kept my job. Fortunately, I've never been fired from a job but have been laid off. It sucks, especially during a pandemic.

 

I don't accept anything as the God's honest truth. But the union response, Geoff's account, and the reaction of her peers all seem to lend at least a little credibility to Marisa's account.

The timing and lack of communication is where the Seattle Times bungled it. Doing it midseason unnecessarily burdens the rest of the staff, especially the beat partner. More specifically, if you need to let a reporter go, you generally do it when both are home so you can effectively communicate the plan going forward and make appropriate accomodations, not while one is on the road waiting to tag out.

The manner in which she was dismissed is usually reserved for someone who says something egregiously offensive or gets into legal trouble. There appears to be no evidence of either.

And it strains credulity that someone who wrote for the Boston Herald, NBC Sports, and the NYT had performance issues to the extent that she needed to be dismissed immediately because of a looming union deadline.

Performance and behavior issues don't go unnoticed in the newsroom. If someone can't hack it, everyone knows. If someone is a dick or unstable diva, everyone knows. If those factors were at all in play here, then you wouldn't have seen the level of response from the union or her peers.

All signs point to the Times firing her for no specific reason just before she got union protection. They can do that, but it's a shitty way to run a newspaper and a surefire way to torch morale.

 

PM me Solo Flyer.

 

What I read in that account was “doesn’t have a damn thing to do with me.”

The Defector story is what made it bigger news.

 

I was intrigued/impressed that Guild colleagues went to bat for Marisa and put their names to it. The best beat writers are never in the newsroom, so I doubt she was chumming it up at the Keurig. Yes, some of that is the union protecting its own, but I’ve seen situations that were just as challenging where the local Guild unit and its members shrugged their shoulders and said “tough shit.”

 

I don't know Geoff Baker or his work, but I have a hell of a lot of respect for his for telling his story here.