Paxton Media Group

If Bob Ashley has anything to do with the Paxton paper you're thinking about, stay far, far away.

 

Unfortunately, you're right.

 

So journalist68, have we scared you away yet? 

Not knowing what your current situation is, Paxton may actually be a step up, but I doubt it.

 

This thread needs a hug or something.

 

um yeah, good idea. pass.

 

If there is any other option, or you can stay, I'd stay right where you are. The way Paxton handled Durham is reason enough not to make the jump.

(BTW, they can spin all they want about the N&O not being a big draw in Durham County. But McClatchy will change that ... simply putting resources where Paxton won't will turn the tide.)

 

The Durham paper is not in good shape, J68. In their first full year under Paxton circulation dropped by 14 percent to about 44,000 daily and 45,000 Sunday. It wasn't that long ago that it was over 50,000.

They've lost many of their best journalists in the last year too. There are still good people working there, but many of them are still being asked to do too much.

And in the meantime, the News & Observer launched a new Durham weekly and beefed up its Durham bureau. The N&O has gained overall circulation in the last year, but I don't know how much of that is in Durham Co. or Chapel Hill, where the Herald does a local edition.

All that said, after getting their butts whupped by the N&O at the start, the Herald-Sun has done a good job covering the Duke scandal.

 

Another Paxton horror story, shared to me when said Paxton employee found out I'd clandestinely gone on multiple job interviews over the last couple of years at my (non-Paxton) shop ...

"If they found out you were even looking for another job, you were fired immediately."

Take with a grain of salt ... this person was set up like a bowling pin and axed by the same Paxton paper (not for looking for other jobs).

At the same shop, the lone staff photographer has been spotted shooting sports with basically nothing more than a point-and-shoot. There are no other options for shooters -- the entire stringer budget was axed a year or two ago.

PMG isn't the JRC, but its penny-pinching ways look rather familiar.

 

I'm sure Cleveland Cavaliers fans could tell plenty of Paxton horror stories......like hiring Randy Wittman, like using the 11th pick of the 1999 draft to select Trajan Langdon with Ron Artest and Andrei Kirlinko still on the board, like drafting Jamal Crawford then trading him for Chris Mihm, like replacing Randy Wittman with John Lucas, like the 2001 draft debacle or like drafting Dajuan Wagner with Amare Stoudamire still on the board......

Oh wait, I thought we were talking about Paxson.......but I'm not bitter ;D ;D :

 

Actually, it was youth soccer, but no matter. There's also other horror stories from that place, as well.

 

Mike Potter is a great guy and reporter, but his beat consists of N.C. State, the Bulls and the Hurricanes. I believe he also helps out with the HBCUs. That's a tad much for one guy.

 

Agree on Mike -- I've been to Durham several times in the past couple months and the poor guy was kept pretty busy between covering the Bulls and their hijinks, and the 'Canes on their run to the Stanley Cup ... the last time I was there, he had to cover Delmon "Don't touch me!" Young's return to the Bulls, then haul ass to Raleigh to do the Canes game ... of course, he could only do the Canes' home games (I guess Paxton's bottom line wouldn't let him go on the road for three games).