gannett plans to layoff 3,000 by december.

I don't know if Gannett is doing this already, but how about offering advertisers a 30 percent cut on the ad rate if they commit to spending X amount over the next 2-3 years? No cash up front, pay as you go.

 

Talked to a friend of mine who is in one of those affected shops. My friend was a mix of being afraid and livid at the same time at the prospect of being treated so shabbily after well more than 20 years of working in the same paper. When the living envy the dead, that's a terrible corporate culture.

 

Just wait. Give it time. Most of the Gannett shops will rely on stringers until all the newspapers close shop.

 

Did everyone actually get the Dickey email?

 

You will have to rebrand the stringers of course: Independent MoJos? Cheap-ass Correction Manufacturers? Something catchy...

 

Hell, they won't even drop the exorbitant help wanted ad rates that no one will buy.

 

So, it sounds like sometime this week, our shop will be making the cuts. Am I being insensitive or naive for not worrying about the impending layoffs?

The reason I ask is because we have a couple of veteran reporters who work here who are living, breathing and eating these impending layoffs. They're on GannettBlog, they're constantly asking other co-workers if they've heard anything, they're always talking about the layoffs. It's to the point where one particular co-worker is questioning her every move on her facebook page and every status update has to do with the layoffs. A latest example was her fretting about cleaning off her desk sending the wrong message to her bosses that she was "ready to be fired."

Am I wrong to just have a Laissez-faire attitude about the layoffs? I mean, I want to keep my job, but I think I learned a couple of years ago that Gannett will ultimately do what they want and not necessarily what is right. I think only worrying about it will just screw with you until the layoffs happen.

 

Just worry about what does happen, not what might happen.

 

How much to worry is definitely a very personal choice.

 

I spent March, April and the greater part of May worrying about the 42 cuts at my shop, which I ultimately survived.

Never again.

I feel like I lost 2 and a half months of my life worrying about it. And when the next round of cuts happens, I'll just deal with it when the tap on the shoulder comes.

That doesn't mean ignore completely. Naturally it's prudent to look for escape hatches and lifeboats elsewhere and to apply for other jobs as a "just-in-case" hedge (or just to get out of the business before it kicks you out).

 

Yeah, and that's kind of what I've done. I've put feelers out there and I've sent some resumes out to companies outside of the business. I'm certainly not sitting still waiting for the boat to sink. But I'm also not running around looking for every single hole and freaking out about it.

 

I think you have the right approach, Stagger -- cuz it seems right, and it seems you are at peace with it.

I wish you the best.