Running Canadian journalism cuts thread

P.S. - We've avoided layoffs so far by having a staff photog go on an unpaid leave to South America for three months and the promise an editor will take the whole summer off - also unpaid.

Still, the storm does feel like it's heading our way.

 

Friend,
I'm trying to do a headcount and I think there are more middle management left than writers.

 

We Facebooked a bit today. I think he's in shock, which is natural.

 

Oh and 20 in Edmonton, including provincial affairs columnist Neil Waugh.

 

Sounds like the paper I recently departed. The newsroom has a managing editor, a news editor, an assistant news editor, a city editor and four reporters - three in news and one in sports.

 

More cuts in Sun chain, including a couple papers shutting their doors entirely.

It's horrible news for the people who worked there, but situations like the one in Jasper could be good news for the future of newspapers.

The Fitzhugh, started up with local ownership to compete with the Booster just a few years ago, has now essentially supplanted the Booster in what was previously a one-paper town anyhow. They're not tied to a gigantic company demanding huge profit margins, and they can do the same job.

Problem is, a lot of people are going to lose their jobs and a lot more papers are going to close, and I don't see independent ownership swooping in and becoming everyone's saviour.

 

Are you guys Bowes/SM, Gomer?

Logan was nice and pickled last night and will be tonight and tomorrow. The official going-away party will be March 26 at the Riverbend.

We're all pretty confident he'll land on his feet. He knows of an opening at the Cochrane Eagle (although I'd fear that will close when Calgary swallows it) and FFWD is looking for an editor. So, he may even be able to stay in Calgary.

This is a mighty disturbing line in that TSF entry:

Another source says 10 more Sun Media weeklies in Alberta will be scuttled by next week, the tipster said.

 

Yeah, saw the FFWD thing, he'd do well there. He worked at the Eagle before going to the Sun, so I'm sure they'd take him back.

Cochrane's a lot like Jasper because Jack Tennant started it up to compete with the SM entry, the Times. Local ownership should give the Eagle a huge edge these days, but I haven't been in that community for, oh, eight years now.

We're Glacier/Alberta Newspaper Group, which for all intensive purposes means Radler's at the helm.

 

That's the same group that owns Doyle at the Kelowna Daily Courier, right?

Wasn't sure who owned what in Cochrane. But it has been statistically noted as one of the fastest growing bedroom communities in Canada.

 

You know what sucks? I checked the Gaulin site today and I haven't seen so few postings in years.

 

Yes, they own Doyle, lol. He told me recently their sports editor moved to become night editor, leaving them with three guys in sports - including the guy who does high school coverage from a home office.

Gaulin was quoted in a Kamloops This Week story about the Canadian situation. Not a bad read. Not surprising in the least.

 

I had to stop reading that story when I got to Rob Munro. I have nothing good to say about him.