Next in Line ... Milwaukee

So as recently as 1994, Milwaukee had enough working daily journalists to staff two metropolitan newspapers. Now it has about half the staff for one. And this is in a market with the aforementioned strong reader penetration figures.

Yikes.

 

A list:
http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/52521782.html

I noticed one name missing: Dave Boehler, who was a part-time sportswriter (mainly preps). Also, in the online crew, Emmett Prosser was a sports producer and Algeria Peoples was support staff for sports.

 

Losing Art Kabelowsky is a big blow to the preps coverage.

 

Also, side note: Fuck the management there with a rusty screwdriver. A friend came home from Wolski's last night to find the shittiest letter from the company I've ever read. Had his name on it, but the wrong job title in what position he was being laid off from and also telling him, in no uncertain terms, that they were laying off to form "new positions" which were going to be much more intensive and higher-level, and he simply wasn't capable of doing such jobs.

Assholes.

 

The company I believe has to put in writing, per the union contract, why it's letting someone go. During the merger in 1995, some of the reasons they gave were reportedly even more laughable.

Looking at the names on the list, it's just sad -- some of these people have worked in Milwaukee since before the merger. And with six clerks gone in sports, who's going to be answering the phones on Friday nights?

 

I would agree with you, except that, unfortunately, reader penetration is not advertising. And the latter, or lack thereof, is supposedly what's driving most newspaper cutbacks.

 

Poor Garry Howard.

http://apse.dallasnews.com/2009/aug2009/082709howard.html

Apparently his phone was so busy ringing that he didn't have a chance to call those who were laid off from his department. My friend, who worked there for more than 20 years, STILL hasn't heard a word from his former boss.

Self-serving asshole.

(sorry, floridanewbie31)

 

IJAG: Well, that's just awful/pathetic/sad, you name it. I hope your friend lands on his/her feet. Soon.

 

He felt so bad, he needed a high-five from Ray Allen to boost his spirits.

I know several people there who have never heard from Garry since they got the boot.

 

And, before floridanewbie rips me, I e-mailed Garry, signed it, the whole shebang. Saying exactly what I said here. Well, minus the "asshole." Seemed uncouth in an e-mail to someone's work account.

 

About 10 years ago I was in a NFL press box and I met up with a friend who was at the JS at the time. He asked about my boss and I asked about his boss and he said, watch this...

He brought me down by his seat in the press box where a veteran writer who I had never met was sitting. He said, "Garry Howard"

Without missing a beat, the writer said, "Is an embarrassment to his profession."

My friend then took me to another veteran writer, who I also had never met, and said, "Garry Howard"

Without missing a beat, he said, "Is the worst sports editor in the country."

 

To think that Garry Howard has been soiling the same sports section where Bill Dwyre made his bones is some sort of statement on the direction of this business.