Copy editor, New Jersey

Corporate calls it downsizing. The public calls it unemployment.

 

Doubtful that AB made the call to fire anyone. I know loads of folks who were victimized by JRC long before AB was foolish enough to join Jelloneck's team. Also doubtful that he did a thing to save the cat from getting fired. AB cares only about AB. That's how he's been in the past and how he'll likely be in the future. If he wasn't so consumed by proving to JRC that he can be a good henchman and by fulfilling his owns needs to be a columnist, maybe nobody would have gotten fired or suspended. Like any other JRC henchman, AB is worried about himself instead of worried about making sure his employees are put into the best possible situation to succeed. While these cats were losing jobs and losing pay, where was AB? Removing the volume button from the TV or working on his next Reggie Lawrence column?

 

The latest from journalismjobs.com ...

Company: The Trentonian
Position: Sports Copy Editor
Location: Trenton, New Jersey
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Not Specified
Ad Expires: June 3, 2007
Job ID: 771899
Website:http://www.trentonian.com

Description:
The Trentonian is looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic team player to join its sports copy desk. The ideal candidate will have a nose for catching mistakes, strong news judgment and layout expertise. The candidate should be able to work well in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Nights and weekends are required. Recent college graduates will be considered.

Please send your resume and editing/layout examples to:

Aaron Bracy, Sports Editor, The Trentonian, 600 Perry Street, Trenton, NJ 08618

Or e-mail to abracy@trentonian.com.

 

Well, a few weeks ago on the previous lost lamented Trentonian thread, Bracy had issued fiery memos directing the desk to "step it up," so certainly if it wasn't his call alone, from all appearances he concurs.

Given that Bracy is about eight weeks into the typical 10-week job expectancy of a Trentonian SE, I would be amazed/astonished if he has complete authority to hire/fire anyone. They probably let him sit in on the process, so he can tell his pals he's a real live "sports editor," but when it comes to pulling the trigger, that's probably Mattie Dee.

Sinking Ship refers to "morale at an all-time low." : :

The irony there is that most people are conditioned to think of "morale at an all-time low" as a BAD thing.

In the bizarro world of JRC, where up is down, black is white, and hot is cold, "morale at an all-time low" is in fact precisely their objective. As morale sinks, more and more veteran (i.e. higher-paid) employees get terrified/fed up/burned out/beaten down and quit, thus saving the company the (minor) headache of having to fire them, and enabling JRC to hire flunkouts fresh off the community-college campus for $10 an hour.

We used to think the brutal/sadistic treatment of staff was just utter incompetence and unbelievable obtuseness on the part of the JRC henchmen -- that they were poorly trained, too stupid to know any better or too dumb to understand what they were doing. But over the course of time (and having talked to some former mid-level corporate stooges who themselves got the axe), we realized they know exactly what they're doing, and it comes from the top. They're trying to drive everyone making 50 cents more than minimum wage off the payroll. It's personnel management by extermination.

Bracy's not the issue. He's just a tiny rusty hatchet in the slaughterhouse.

 

this would be pretty damned funny if people's -- and their family's -- well-being weren't at stake.

 

So when, exactly, can we start holding the sports editor responsible for the shit going on in his sports department?

He's a bad reporter.
He's a lousy columnist.
The back page is a joke.
The section is ginormous -- a waste of space as it is filled with mostly wire and poorly designed pages.
He's instituted draconian measures to instill fear and scapegoat underlings.
He can't find an assistant sports editor.
and "the carnage continues."

But I know, we shouldn't judge because he used to be a nice guy before he went on a power trip.

 

why not move on phin? fuck, it's not like that paper wasn't broke to begin with.

 

TP, you have NEVER seen the paper in your life. You live in the midwest so how in the hell can you comment on this situation. You sound like an ass when you do comment on something you don't know a damn thing about.
Aaron has a lot to learn about the job and what it entails. I have high hopes for him but he's on a ship that is badly damaged.

 

lapdog, you have once again hit the nail on the head. This is exactly the modus operandi of JRC, and exactly what is happening at the Trentonian. Unfortunately for the staff still in place (which includes a copy editor with 39 years under his belt who's waiting to retire in January) the blood-letting seems to be the most intense it's ever been. This 39-year veteran was recently forced to sign a letter that basically said one more mistake, no matter how small or trivial, and he will be terminated. Have a happy retirement!

 

What they are trying to do is get him out before his retirement. It's the oldest trick in the book. I hope he can make it last until January.

 

you only prove your unique stupidy each and every day. you must be a favorite of your co-workers.

we wish you a happy ignorantasshat day.

 

(see bold above)

It's $12 a hour. But close enough.