Los Angeles Times cuts pay of senior managers, furloughs 40 non-newsroom employees

Furloughs and Pay Cuts Hit The Los Angeles Times

 

Wow. Cutting salaries by up to 15 percent, and especially not matching 401k inputs, is something pretty significant. Even more so than the furloughs in my book.

 

I've been through furloughs at newspapers and "temporary" pay cuts in my post-newspaper life, and while the numbers are obviously crucial, I'd rather have small-scale furloughs than pay cuts. At least you get some time off with the furloughs, and not the same amount of work for less money.

 

Three community papers closed.
California Times folds Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and La Cañada Valley Sun

 

The myth of the benign billionaire as the salvation of newspapers is again shown to be the lie that it is. Wait until the LAT is sold Alden.

 

The only hope for newspapers is they become small nonprofits. No sports sections; just tiny internet sites designed to keep government in check. There will however be a LOT of sports newspaper websites, one person operations to go with the ESPN.coms. Can the sports writers make their websites make enough to live on? Will they be credentialed? That's the future. We shall see. Newspapers will start folding the print product by September.

 

You're like the contrarian wackadoodle on CNBC who claims the stock market is going to drop 80 percent during a roaring economy.

 

I admit I've taken a few shots at Erskine over the years but some of his columns are gut-punches.

Chris Erskine: I'm leaving The Times. I hope you had a laugh or two in my long run here

 

The suits will never care about the talent. They think anybody can write a column or a story or cover a game or analyze a game. Remember citizen journalists? Some consultant said they were the future. Look it up.
Instead there have been 10,000 Erskines, amazing talents from city after city, thrown out the door or forced out. Has it had an effect on the product? Yes? Have their firings mattered? Of course they've contributed to the decline of circulation. People aren't stupid. Newspapers are worthless now, or close to worthless because of the firing of all the Erskines of the industry.
Every city now has lists of veteran superstar reporters/editors thrown out the door, told they were not wanted anymore.
Congratulations suits and CEOs. A once great industry now has the only Hall of Fame talent headed to something called The Athletic. Everybody else ... kicked to the curb. I know Erskine and love the work. A champion of the printed word!

 

L.A. Times Guild strikes deal to avoid newsroom layoffs — L.A. Times Guild - Los Angeles Times Guild

 

Good on the guild.