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

Now there's some institutional knowledge lost. There might be no one more knowledgeable about and fearless in reporting on soccer world-wide than Jones.

I'm sure he will still be working for the LAT on a regular freelance basis, though, particularly through 2012.

 

The LAT upped its daily price to a buck beginning (I think) next Tuesday.

Business economics would suggest that if your product is losing customers, upping the price is not the way to win them back. But maybe the LAT believes they've neared the bottom of their counter sales hemorrhage, and it's worth driving a few more readers away in exchange of an extra quarter a day from thousands of folks.

 

As for Mr. Jones freelancing: At many companies, if you take a buyout package you cannot freelance for at least a year.

 

Are we sure he was actually laid off - the LA Observed story just said that he was leaving. Based on his covering the Women's World Cup from England instead of Germany and the fact that he hasn't been regularly covering the MLS teams in the area as the strict beat writer, he might be going into semi-retirement.

Or the LA Times could just be descending into madness.

 

You're the first person to mention the word "layoff."

Based on other reports on the Times' recent issues, it's more likely that Grahame Jones took a buyout.

Either way, that institutional knowledge is lost. And the Times, having loosed itself of a person whose work was part of my inspiration to pursue a journalism career, is no longer a place I'll bother to seek my soccer news.

 

I'm willing to bet that if the L.A. Times wants Jones to freelance for it, he would be able and allowed to do so.

 

You might well be right. But I'll also bet that HR people in Chicago make up those policies.

 

All that talent gone, and they still find space for this utter dreck:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-erskine-20110904,0,2956976.column

 

The Times' hits keep coming:

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/90059867?LA%20Times%20joining%20new%20mass%20layoffs%20list%20with%2066%20additional%20employees%20cut

 

Wait, you mean to say business isn't picking up for newspapers? I'm shocked -- shocked!

Yeah, tablets are the way out. And paywalls. And hyperlocal. And big fat bonuses for upper management.