Gannett, Gatehouse talking merger

Faithful newspaper reader to the end

 

I think on an intellectual level the people laid off understood that a layoff was probably going to happen. But when the moment arrives it is still a shock to the system no matter how well prepared you may think you are.

 

Good way to put it Lancey. Nobody is safe in the business now nor have they been safe for many many years. We all know the layoffs are never about the person, just this awful, terrible, bumbling, insulting, disgusting industry. Nobody who gets laid off should feel bad as eventually there only will be a handful of journalists left working for the non profit news organizations once the hedge funds and other ownerships get done with their bleeding of funds.

 

Not that Gannett/Gatehouse or any other newspaper chain would understand priorities and common sense but the virus is the biggest news story in our generation and is unique in that it has a worldwide effect down to Main Street in every small town in America. There's never been more of a need for accurate information at the local level than now. And they're gutting everything like fucking zombies. There is no bigger collection of rat bastards than the people who own newspapers right now.

 

Nobody is shocked. What gave you that idea. We're just sad and appalled and those laid off are stunned at first because they know how hard they work and how much sweat they gave to the company just to keep a job amid horrible working conditions/treatment.

 

And yet they give away or at one point were giving away the corona content. Despicable people/CEOs. Enjoy your fishing/boating weekends, suits.

 

But they still keep the lousy Paterson news stringer? Don't they understand that the readership base doesn't care one iota about Paterson.

 

"Only" one sportswriter (small consolation). And if they have a stringer in Paterson. he/she is probably already cheap enough as is.

 

Hearing targeted layoffs today, potentially part of the "consolidation" and not related to the pandemic.

 

A news columnist at the Des Moines Register was eliminated.

 

Fuck, that makes me sad. I know he has some demons and has gone through a ton of rough personal struggles.

 

Here’s what we know so far about the layoffs at Gannett - Poynter