LAT cutting 75 more

Wondering about the L.A. Times' recent grand tradition of top editors and even publishers resigning in protest or disgust or outrage or sorrow over such slashing of staff.

Is that tradition over already? Have the key jobs now been filled by enough toadies or those who have drunk the Kool-Aid that there's no such heels-planting at the newsroom top?

For a while there at least, we could see the proud values of journalism in play, if only by the way a series of bosses refused to go along with the corporate cutting. Them days over?

Now it's as if the white flag has gone up. As demoralizing as Cool Hand Luke going over to The Man's side as a trustee, fetching his rifle, retrieving his dead snake, "shakin' it here, boss," his spine and fight turning to jelly. (With, alas, no eventual double-cross of the bastards up his sleeve.)

 

It'll never seem right that George Kennedy won an Oscar for that movie and my boy Paul (see avatar) did not.

 

Well, of course there will be more cuts.

January starts a new quarter for the Tribune beancounters to slash and hack.

 

Spent eight years there. This is profoundly sad.

When I was waffling about leaving the midsize I was at to go to the Times, a city editor type dropped by my desk and said, "You're thinking about not going? Are you an idiot? It's the Los Angeles Times!!"

Not the same these days, obviously -- but the people who are still there are still extremely talented and will still do the best they can with what they've got. They just don't have much anymore.

 

Arritt started as a part-timer when I was there and was a great "kid" back then. Van is one of the best layout guys I ever worked with.

It's hard to believe he's one of them, unless it was voluntary.

Not saying you're not right, by the way, Moddy. Just saying it's hard to believe, as much of this is.

 

Van's dad was Dave Nightingale of Sporting News fame.

 

Again, to clarify: I had no doubt Moddy's source was right.

I simply couldn't believe a paper wouldn't have a spot for somebody like Van. I mean, as tight as things are, you still have to put the damn thing out every night.

That's all I meant. Fact it's true is really bad.

 

With White and Arritt on that list, and Eric Stephens let go in the previous round of cuts, it shows what the Times thinks about hockey. Lonnie and Dan split the Kings beat with Lisa Dillman last year and Eric did the Ducks. Dan did most of the hockey this year. I guess Helene Elliott will handle it all now and no one will travel with either team.

 

Is Lisa not covering the Kings, or hockey at all, this year?