gannett plans to layoff 3,000 by december.

Right now it's all a race. Get out of the business before you're forced out of the business. The top one percent will wind up at ESPN, SI, Sportsline, NYT, USA Today, WP and a handful of other places and the rest will eventually fold or become five-person operations where they're putting up a website while working with the TV station.

 

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We are hiring one person because someone is leaving to go to grad school. Obviously this came after layoffs.

 

Because usually the person laid off is usually a big salary. I know of one place where the person they let go was making $45K and after someone left the following week they called her and offered her her job back at about 65 percent of what she was making before. To her credit, she didn't take it.
Since when is $45K a big salary? That's starting pay for policeman and firefighters...not to mention about 1/3 rd of what top management makes at a paper.

 

90 percent of people in the newspaper business will never make $50K. I feel fortunate that I did for about eight years.

 

Graduated 27 months ago and still haven't made that much. FML.

 

I know a very good college writer who recently retired after 35 years in the business who never made more than $38K in salary.

 

I think think the small community papers will survive.

 

For some people, yes.

But there is no chance --- none --- that my next job (whatever it is) will approach my current salary. So racing out of the business before the ax falls would be foolish for me.

 

Louisiana is currently in its first stage of that copy desk consolidation. From what I've seen and heard, it's not going smooth. Only about 20% of the people who were asked to transfer made the move, probably 80% of that number were editors seeking similar positions at the regional copy desk. So basically what they have is ~ One desk consolidation center manager (or whatever), three desk consolidation editors and probably four copy desk workers. And that crew (plus any additions) is supposed to compose five papers nightly by the beginning of September. Color me skeptical.

But it's Gannett, so it won't be allowed to fail. Even if it fails miserably and costs the company tons on money, they're going to stick with it for at least a year. Then they'll repackage it, slap another fancy label on it and unveil another plan summer 2010.

 

I'd rather color you bad. The regional copydesk would be a good idea if implemented well. But we know that's not possible given this company's history. Best wishes to those dealing with another poorly designed plan from the suits, who I'm sure will still get their bonuses in 2010.

 

Been at it for 24 years here at the daily after six at the bi-weekly and have not come close to that figure.

 

Well, what did Gannett expect? People willing to pack up their lives to move across the state to work a job that might not be there in 3 months?

Maybe if Gannett would show that they had a long-term plan longer than the next quarter, people might be willing to sacrifice a little more for the company. Nope. Just keep sending out firings and furloughs while still trying to browbeat employees into making sure their stories are mainstreamed.

And was there any word on what the people who were going to work the regional desk were going to get paid? Raises? Salary cuts? Same salary?