Columbus Dispatch sold

That's how long it takes for Austin to make the transition to doing their pages.

 

I figured that, but it doesn't exactly give the current staffers much to feel good about.

 

Certainly nothing for Columbus' designers and copy editors to feel good about.

 

Well, yeah. But usually, these corporate types do their typical "Everything will be awesome!" speeches and don't flat out say that they're laying people off.

 

Yeah, sweat 'em. Sweat 'em hard.

 

So pages for Gatehouse newspapers, probably including Columbus within three months, are designed and edited in Austin, Texas.

Meanwhile, pages for the Austin American-Statesman are designed and edited in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Welcome to the new normal (or abnormal).

 

And the Statesman has been named best paper in Texas for the past two years.

Is there a problem with that operation?

 

When Ben Marrison quickly walked away from this disaster, it just reinforced to me how evil Gatehouse is.

 

When GateHouse lays off copy editors and designers from properties it acquires, it makes those poor souls agree not to apply at any other GateHouse paper for one year. Not that most would, but still. Just one added kick to the gut.

 

How do you make people not apply for a job at a company?

 

By holding their severance pay hostage.

 

So when they get laid off, they don't get their severance pay for a year?

Ridiculous, although not surprising.