It keeps getting worse

Frank Vega. Journalism expert... how did he land a publisher's job...

 

Boots - I mean that you don't tend to see investigative stories that really "pop" anymore. Maybe nothing surprises us anymore or the institutions covered by papers have become too astute at PR. 60 Minutes did a piece last night on a clusterf*ck with a multi-billion $$ program to refurbish the Coast Guard fleet. One of the sources of the story said he tried to get a newspaper interested in it, but they said they didn't think they'd be able to prove the allegations.

 

Assuming you mean the Deepwater program, the N.Y. Times had it last December: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/09/us/09ship.html?ei=5088&en=d715d64a44376dd6&ex=1323320400&partner=r...&pagewanted=print

 

Holy SH*t!

 

Two weeks ago we're in a supervisors meeting talking about how we do this and that. The publisher -- who has no college degree, I shit you not -- asks why we ran our Education packages in Monday's paper if Monday was such a slow day for internet traffic.

The news editor explained that because of staffing attrition, we saved Education packages that are finished Thursday or Friday to run Sunday when the copy desk is short handed (they work on the layout, etc. all weekend). The publisher asked why we schedule the copy desk to be short handed on Sunday. News editor said it's because Sunday is typically a slower news day. Publisher asked why publish a Monday paper at all then.

Keep in mind we're a 40,000-circ. daily and the biggest paper in a three-hour radius.

The city editor, a woman who's been a reporter/CE at the paper for almost 15 years left the room in tears.

I keep telling myself this is cyclical, that there'll be some sort of backlash against the junk food journalism we're practicing now but, I dunno.

Part of it's the readers. We ran a lost dog story on A1 for a week and get this epic reader response. Some wrote in to tell us how stupid we were for top-shelfing an effin' pet story, most were hooked on it.

A couple weeks ago our staff ran this package on a company in Colorado that is defrauding local businesses out of thousands because they think they're donating to local athletic programs.

I got three phone calls.  :

 

Probably because they've already been fired.

 

http://blogs.eastbayexpress.com/92510/2007/06/bloodbath_at_the_chron.php

Bloodbath at the Chron
Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 02:43:00 PM
It’s been a brutal day at the San Francisco Chronicle, as managers walked from desk to desk, handpicking reporters and photographers to be laid off. “The white envelopes are going out,” said one insider. “It’s definitely a bloodbath,” added another. The Chron plans to lay off up to sixty union-represented newsroom employees in the next week. For the past week, the paper offered buyouts in an effort to cut eighty jobs, but only about twenty employees took the offer, one insider said. See the buyout offer after the jump.

Among the list of managers who were canned was the Chron’s Washington D.C. bureau chief, Marc Sandalow. He was well-known and respected reporter who provided straightforward, easy to read analysis of Washington news events. Sandalow also was a frequent guest analyst on KCBS radio. “That one had us scratching our heads – Sandalow was one of the faces of the newspaper,” said one Chron insider.

Among the reporters who reportedly took the buyout were science writer Keay Davidson and environmental reporter Glen Martin. Under the buyout, employees were offered two weeks of pay for every year of service, with a maximum payout of no more than one year’s pay. Here is a Q&A from the newspaper guild:

6/6/07 Guild Q&A on Chronicle incentive termination.
What's the buyout offer?

Two weeks pay per year of service for eligible employees, up to one year's pay, along with health care paid for up to one year. Pay is calculated based on final straight pay rate. Employees will be told individually if he or she is eligible.

Why did the Guild agree to these buyout terms?

The company announced a goal of reducing 100 newsroom jobs, including about 80 held by Guild members. We hope to avoid layoffs in the newsroom with these voluntary buyouts after we became convinced there was no other alternative. We agreed to the buyout terms in an attempt to reduce or perhaps eliminate the need for layoffs in the newsroom. Our discussions with management resulted in improvements in the original buyout, but we are convinced no better terms are available. The company has said it will not negotiate individual enhancements.

Will these buyouts avoid the need for layoffs?

That may not become clear until after the buyout phase is complete, which we expect may take about a month for all departments.

Are these job cuts going to solve the Chronicle's business problems?

Clearly not. Our members in the newsroom generate the content readers and advertisers want, and reducing newsroom jobs inevitably hurts the editorial product. We see no point in arguing against the company's decision to cut jobs -- clearly, the management has the right to reduce the force. But these short-term cost reductions should not be confused with a long-term business plan that is capable of restoring profitability.

Would it harm my career if I approach management and ask what I would be offered under a buyout package but then later decide not to take it?

Any employee is free anytime to inquire about terms if they are considering retirement or resignation. Obviously, this would be a pointless question for anyone with no desire to leave the Chronicle. It might also send an inaccurate message about one's intentions. But there should be no penalty for asking questions, and management can't take any punitive measures without due cause.


After the buyouts are done, assuming there aren’t enough, how will seniority figure into any layoffs?

Seniority is based on original hire date, then by department and classification. Under the contract, the newsroom is divided into the following departments for purposes of a layoff: sports, features, business, photography and library. Copy editors and certain news desk positions are grouped together. The remaining editorial employees are grouped as one department. Within those departments, each classification (i.e., job title as listed in the contract) are grouped separately (columnists, reporters, photographers, etc.) In the event of a layoff, the Guild must be notified one week in advance of the number, classifications and departments of jobs affected, and a seniority list must be provided. Within a week of this notice, any employee in the classification and department affected may retire, and this could reduce the number of employees designated for layoff. The employer may designate up to 25% of employees in any one classification or department as being of “major importance”, thereby saving a person with low seniority from being laid off. This designation cannot be made for arbitrary or capricious reasons.

What can the management do to me if I refuse a buyout but have enough seniority to avoid layoff, and if you turn down the offer, will your assignment change?

The employer can change schedules or assignments for business reasons, and we expect will try to minimize the disruptions that may come if sections or beats are eliminated in the smaller newsroom. No transfers or job changes can be made for punitive reasons. It's also important to keep in mind that seniority rank, and hence risk of being laid off, may change after the buyouts and any reassignments.

When will the process begin for Guild members, and how will this be done?

Meetings with individual employees will probably start at the end of this week. The employee will be called to a meeting in Human Resources, presented with a buyout offer, informed that it is voluntary, but encouraged to seriously consider it. The employee will have a week to decide whether to submit a resignation and take the money. The employee will have another week to rescind the resignation. There would be an opportunity to agree upon a termination date. Anyone signing up for this offer would, under a law that protects people from making rash decisions, have an additional 45 days to sign the separation agreement and general release.

Can an employee request Guild representation?

Yes, and we encourage individuals to do so. Guild representatives will be available and meetings may be postponed within reason to accommodate schedules.

When you are tapped on the shoulder, how will your last day of employment be determined?

The termination date will be mutually agreed upon, but must be within a reasonable time period.

If you are offered a buyout and are close to your anniversary date, how will that work in terms of years of service?

Years of service will be pro-rated, and if it is necessary to remain on the payroll longer in order reach a significant date for pension purposes, this can be worked out.

How will buyouts for part-timers be calculated?

Part-timers will be given full credit for years of service, starting with their date of hire. They would be paid their full (37.5 hours) weekly salary multiplied by the appropriate number of weeks.

Will those who either accept a buyout or are laid off be eligible for unemployment benefits, even if their pension begins?

Yes, as long as the requirements of the EDD are met.

How will my medical coverage be retained if I choose to accept the buyout?

COBRA, the federal program that guarantees your rights to continue medical insurance after termination, allows an employee to extend current medical coverage for up to 18 months. If you accept a buyout, the company makes COBRA contributions to the Guild H&W plan on your behalf to retain coverage commensurate with your buyout offer.

How does this affect the two weeks per year of service under the previous pension plan?

This benefit is totally separate from the buyout offers being made. Employees who were vested in the pension plan as of January 1, 2006 (meaning you had worked at the paper since at least January 1, 2001) are entitled to two weeks pay for every year of service. This lump sum benefit is part of the pension and is paid out to employees upon termination or retirement. Again, this is totally separate from this buyout offer.



-- Robert Gammon

 

[blue]He's letting them keep their pension vestment. What more could you ask for.[/blue]

 

One of my favorite areas in the country, with especially literate residents, is becoming a news/media backwater. It looks like the under-100k self-contained areas will fare better (Bakersfield?!).

 

http://blogs.eastbayexpress.com/92510/2007/06/the_chron_memorializes_the_lai.php

The Chron Memorializes the Laid-Off
Sat Jun 09, 2007 at 09:12:38 AM

As layoffs continue in the Chron newsroom, SFGate.com is hosting a Colleagues Remembered page where you can read brief biographies of the departed. It's pretty grim -- SFist called it "Portraits in Grief-like" -- and it's painful to imagine the still-employed at their desks eulogizing those who got the tap on the shoulder. But it's probably one of the only opportunities readers will have to see the faces of the editors and writers who made the newsroom hum, and a way to get a glimpse of what some of them might be up to next. One example: veteran political reporter Marc Sandalow will reportedly be working on a biography of Nancy Pelosi.

Through the magic of the Interweb -- and the fact that most news stories these days automatically include a way for readers to comment on them -- it's also given the public a place to make last-minute pleas for clemency. Writes one reader:

"Dear Mr. Bronstein, We should not mourn or celebrate by paying tribute to the day our journalists begin to fade from the pages of our daily lives. ... It is a mistake that all of these good people are being remembered. These people should be writing at your paper right now! ... I am saddened you choose to pretend to celebrate your good friends instead of taking the time and money to make sure they all stay with you and continue to grow our worlds. "No one reads the paper!" Keep saying it, Phil, and you will make it a final reality. What a sacrifice because of a need for a quick financial fix!"

Layoffs are expected to continue through Monday. -- Kara Platoni