'Black Wednesday' in Tampa

That's what so absurd about this technology debate -- journalists under 30s who know all these technologies and use them regularly are getting axed as well. It's not like buyouts and layoffs only affect those near retirement age.

 

If it makes you feel better, the Orwellian bullshit isn't just in the newspaper business.

While at college, I worked for a logistics company during the tech boom (they shipped computers). We all know how that went. We got gathered for the cost-cutting meeting. The V.P. starts rambling off the biggest line of corporate-speak I ever heard. My boss at the time, who was retiring in six months, blares out, "So, in English, are you laying anyone off or not?" Whole room busts out laughing, leaving the Veep a little red-cheeked.

Didn't lay anyone off then, but axed one three months later and the whole bunch two years later.

 

Isn't the whole purpose of Twitter.com to answer the question "What am I doing now?" so your friends will know what's going on?

I'm typing on a F-ing eMac. That's what I'm doing.

 

In case sources are trying to reach you to provide scoops, they know whether or not they're interrupting you.

 

While I have accounts on Myspace, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, etc. Most of my sources do not have accounts on any of those things, and it is unlikely they ever will. Only one candidate for the school board I cover has a campaign page on Myspace. Hell, Myspace is a banned website at the paper I work for so I can't even view her site.

Plus, what does one's ability to poke someone on Facebook have to do with their qualifications as a journalist.

 

DaSilva has gone too far! One of her Twitter whatevers? "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

If she's gonna quote the Simpsons, she'd better do it right. It's "Let's blow this FASCIST popsicle stand."

Kids!

 

You only cover us when we look pretty!

 

Elliotte,

I checked back in on the thread this morning and noticed a question you posted about potential legal action...

While I think everyone agrees that I pretty much got slammed over the head with a hammer in this matter -- like others in the past and sadly, from what I hear, others at the Tribune will in coming weeks -- in Florida there really is no ground to stand on like Mizzougrad says, and quite frankly, it's not something I ever considered ... I'm still relatively early in my career (well, hopefully) and hope to be able to make something good out of a bad situation...

Sure, it's bad business and certainly bad PR on the Trib's part to move someone to Tallahassee who, according to them, has always done good work, and yet two years later say, 'Sorry about this, we like you but we've got to toss you to the curb because we can't see having someone in Tallahassee any longer in what is now known bascially as the Hyperlocal Era of Journalism...whatever...you guys have summed up much the way I feel in your comments on the board the past few days...

And for future ex-employees, doing anything legally certainly jeopardize any severance package a company offers...

Before my exit interview and drive to Tampa to turn over my laptop last Thursday, I had no clue how a severance package worked...basically, once I turned in all my equipment and left the building, the process began...I should receive my severance package in the next couple of weeks. At that point, HR advised me to see a legal counselor to look it over and make sure it's agreeable...from the time I receive it, I have 45 days to sign it and return it back to Trib...

so, it's not something you get the day they bring you in and say thanks, now get out...

And to WriteThinking, you are correct in one of your earlier posts about the difficulty of remaining positive about the whole situation as time progresses...now that the initial shock has worn off and the real job of trying to resurrect a career I didn't expect to need resurrecting a few days ago is here, it definitely has its depressing moments...

sports writing jobs aren't exactly growing on all those trees newspapers are saving by going out of business...

 

That's why I hope there's a hell even more than I pray there's a heaven.

Good luck, Scott. Anyone paying attention knows you got screwed for nothing to do with merit, and it looks more and more to me as if being a former newspaper person is a badge of honor and a credit to one's current resume.

The severance system you mention is not universal. I know that at my place, when they did buyouts, the people did paperwork in a pretty swift manner right before departure and, on the days they left, got handed their exit checks. From what I heard, most sprinted to the bank to make sure they cleared.

 

Thanks for the support guys...

From what I hear severance packages vary across the board...for all I know, they may differ from person to person at the Trib...I'm not sure, but if I find out, I'll post just to give folks who might go through this down the road an idea of the process.