L.A. Times bloodletting reportedly gets a big one -- Mark Heisler

Sam Smith is better off at Bulls.com, as are his readers. He writes more often than the Chicago Tribune allowed, gets more space and has a more free rein with his humor and deep NBA knowledge. He also has editorial freedom in probably 99 percent of what he writes, which is as much or more than most newspaper guys get, given their upper bosses' or the bean counters' agendas.

Heisler would be better off too if he landed with the Lakers' site or the site of a cable network that covers them. Being out of newspapers makes that a W already.

Age discrimination? Seems more like salary discrimination. Dumping vets is a way that weasel editors unload long-term paychecks with compounded raises.

Also a reminder that beat jobs are a lot more safe than "national" roles at a newspaper -- if, that is, there are any left. You want to be seen as essential to these pricks.

 

One would think the "bigger paychecks" would cover it. No reason to target "bigger names" unless there were some egomaniacs in the editors' offices who want to create their own new stars. If a bigger name had a smaller paycheck, that name probably would still be employed.

Moral of story: Don't do your job so well that you earn raises. They'll use that against you someday as a reason to terminate. Geniuses will instead keep around people who were mediocre and didn't earn raises that bloated (relatively speaking) their salaries. Or they'll just hire newcomers at a lower rate and say "to hell" with experience and knowledge.

All for new replacing old when old is ready or deserving to go. But pulling trap door out from under old in a cash grab is chickenshit indeed.

 

Not excusing the LA Times but Heisler had a few gracious tweets this morning, including this one:

 

I miss Sam Smith's Monday NBA notes column in the Tribune. Just not the same online. People focused on his trade rumors, but it was always full of good information and fun writing.

 

Dave McMenamin and the Kamenetzky brothers would like a word with you.

 

Talking to anyone other than your spouse about your pay is tacky.

 

Never stopped Bill Conlin:
With the social security check my wife and I receive, I'm making ballplayer money for two columns a week...

http://deadspin.com/326411/its-important-that-you-know-bill-conlins-compensation

 

Tim Rutten as well? jeez..

 

This is bad -- especially in terms of lost institutional knowledge. But, honestly, there's not much else to choose from to cut at the LAT anymore.

Most of the lower-paid/back-up people who used to be on the staff are already gone, thanks to previous rounds of layoffs. For the most part, this is a very veteran staff now.

They're not going to cut the beat writers -- the somewhat younger guys who do the daily, bread-and-better work on the major beats; they're not going to cut top editors -- there's only the sports editor, the deputy sports editor and one or two assistant sports editors still there, anyway; and they're not going to cut the couple just-out-of-school former interns who are now doing most of the blogging/tweeting; they don't have to cut the couple contract-freelance guys they have doing some inside work, because they can be cut anytime that is desired; and they're not going to cut Bill Dwyre, God help them -- although they've probably given that some thought, and just don't dare to do it.

So, who else is left?

That's how bad the bloodletting has been in recent years.

Besides, I'm sure Mark Heisler and Jerry Crowe have probably given thought to retiring/otherwise leaving the business at some point soon, anyway. There just hasn't been any reason to do so, given the lucrative careers they've had at the LAT.

I'd cry for these guys, at this point in their careers, far less than I would some of the people who were let go earlier, because they were probably people who were far less ready to go, people who actually must still work to even get by, and people who probably never got the chance to accomplish all that they may have hoped for yet.

 

Exactly.

 

damn!