'Black Wednesday' in Tampa

So how do you folks suppose things might go tomorrow at the Trib, presuming that Ms. DaSilva will be on the job and everybody will be back on duty after a holiday weekend? I almost wonder if Ms. Coats -- who should be well aware what a firestorm this has created over the past three days -- might call another newsroom meeting to quell the issue some. Then Ms. DaSilva can blog all about it!

That said -- and I noted this in a comment posted on Ms. DaSilva's blog -- more than anything, I feel absolutely awful for Scott Carter, his family and all others affected by this situation. I hope those behind that awful decision get payback in spades at some point. And although I'd never even heard of Scott prior to last week, I wish him all the best as he works through this.

 

Hey everyone,

Wow!

That’s my initial reaction to this thread and the interest it has created. Some of the names here I recognize, others I don’t. Regardless, I want to send out a huge THANK YOU for all the support in such a public forum from many folks I‘ve never met.

If my FSU blog posts had received this much attention on the Web, maybe the home office would have found a way to keep me before deciding to eliminate my position. Hey, you’ve got to laugh because it’s better than some of the alternatives.

And to Andy Staples: Damn, man, I’m picking up the check next time we go to David’s Barbecue in Gainesville. I love the passion for our biz and sticking up for what’s right in your letter to Tribune management, and the same goes to all the others here who are obviously as passionate and concerned about the craft we love as much as Andy is.

Here’s a quick recap of how my deal went down: In a span of eight minutes Wednesday afternoon, I went from talking to a representative of former FSU/NFL player Peter Boulware for a story -- Boulware is running for office these days -- to being unemployed. In between that phone call with Boulware‘s rep and my harsh new reality, there was a 3 minute, 14 second phone call from Tribune managing editor Duke Maas. I barely remember what was said except: “We’ve decided to eliminate your position.’’

You folks have good sources. The details written about on this thread are correct in most cases from what I can tell. As for my severance package, I received an additional two weeks pay beyond this week for a transition period, and then the actual severance package is eight weeks pay in one lump sum. The way it works during the Tribune’s layoffs, if you have less than 10 years service, you get one week of pay for each full year. If you have more than 10 years, you get two weeks pay per year.

In my case, I have 8 years, 10 months of consecutive service at the Trib, so I get eight weeks. I also had a 1 year-1 month stint at another Media General paper fresh out of college in the mid-1990s, but that doesn’t count since I left the company for more than a year prior to joining the Tribune full-time in August 1999. That’s company policy, so no sinister motives at work in this case from management as someone suggested earlier While my total with MG is 9 years, 11 months, company rules clearly state I’m not eligible, which sucks, but seems about par for the course after the past few days.

Anyway, I was tipped off Thursday morning on my drive from Tallahassee to Tampa about the uproar Ma Trib’s decision (and the way it was handled) is causing on this Web site. Another good job in our biz down the drain, and this time, it was my turn to get flushed away. I truly hope that none of you are next and that these type of depressing threads can start slowing down in the biz.

The craft is going to survive because of people like you, people who are passionate about what we do and care deeply about the quality of work we produce. As for the survival of newspapers, I just don’t see it anymore. I truly hope I’m wrong because anyone who knows me knows that I‘m a newspaper junkie at heart.

When I moved up to Tallahassee from Tampa in June 2006, I was in newspaper heaven briefly when I discovered there were several locations around town that sold not only the Tallahassee Democrat and all the national papers, but the Tampa Tribune, St. Pete Times, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Gainesville Sun, Florida Times-Union and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

During my first football season, after attending Breakfast with Bobby (a Sunday morning media session with FSU football coach Bobby Bowden after each home game), I usually stopped by one of the locations, picked up all the newspapers I could find, and compared the coverage from story angles to layout. Unfortunately, those days are over since none of the state papers are now circulated in Tallahassee any longer.

Well, I just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks to everyone. I disappeared for the weekend to decompress and consider my next move. Now it’s time to start my new job: finding a job.

I’ve already started work on a magazine/Web piece chronicling what it’s like to have an excellent review one week, and the next week being told you no longer have a job. It’s not just our industry that is getting whacked around. There are others, and I plan to incorporate some of those stories into my own to reflect the current economic difficulties many Americans are facing these days.

If anyone knows of others who have experienced what I did last week, shoot me back a message.

Take care,

Scott

 

Scott,
Very classy post and welcome to our collective. We're like the Borg, so quit being so damn positive -- resistance is futile.
Good luck to you!

 

One of the best first posts on this board. Best of luck, Scott.

 

Dammit Scott ... As my man Jules Winnfield once said, That is some repugnant shit.

Seriously though, eight weeks huh? That's fantastic.

It might not be as sinister as someone suggested, but there's no question in my mind that you were targeted because you were in the under-10 year window.

Either way, man. Let me know if there's anything I can do. Peace.

 

Stayed away from this thread for a couple of days because the more I read from the intern, the more pissed off I got, and who needs that? Glad I came back to see Scott's SportsJournalists.com debut -- not for what happened to him but his thoughts and reaction. Best of luck, man. I wish you well and hope everything works out for the best.

 

I too was impressed by Scott's upbeat post. I just wonder if the Gainesville job was broached to him or whether management kept it a secret. Seems like after taking one for the team by moving to Tallahassee they owed him the courtesy of offering the UF beat.

Oh wait. Management. Courtesy. Just answered my own question.

 

Scott: I don't know you but I wish you all the best. I've been following this, angry and depressed, because like many people here, I identify. It's good to know you're in decent spirits. Take care.

 

One more reason to not like the journalism industry. My dad worked eight years one place and got three months severance.

Here's to Mr. Carter and to wherever he may land, which will surely benefit from a classy individual.

 

Was that because of the time put in or because enough people were laid off that the WARN act kicked in and he was entitled to 90 days pay?

 

Scott,

I expected nothing less from you than the classy, well-thought out post you just produced in your SportsJournalists.com debut, because that is the same way you approached your writing for the Trib and your job in general. And of course that just makes me more angry about what happened to you and about how it was handled.

You and I have already spoken once since the hammer was dropped, but again, I look forward to talking to you again and putting in motion whatever it is I can to help get you on solid ground so that your talents can be put to good use.

Give my best to Kate and the baby.