So is McClatchy about to drop the hammer?

From the JB pipeline:


The newsrooms of the Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer have worked well together during the two years since the Observer became part of the McClatchy Company. That collaboration clearly has benefited readers of both newspapers.
As we realign resources for the future, we will now link the two newsrooms more tightly in four areas in which we clearly have much in common. By doing this, we expect both newspapers to do a better job for our communities than either could have done on its own. This added collaboration will also enable each newspaper to train more resources on content that is unique to its area.
Here are the areas of expanded cooperation:

A new McClatchy capital bureau will serve both newspapers with coverage of state government and other topics of statewide concern. Initially, this bureau will be comprised of five reporters from the N&O and two reporters from the Observer, all of whom now cover state government. Other reporters with beats that have statewide focus could join this team later. The bureau will be headed by Bill Krueger, who is now the N&O’s government editor. Krueger will report jointly to N&O Senior Editor Linda Williams and Observer Deputy Managing Editor Glenn Burkins. This bureau will be based in the N&O’s building, but will operate separately from its newsroom.

The two newspapers’ sports departments will merge into one department that will serve both papers. This department will be headed by Gary Schwab, a former Observer sports editor who is now that paper’s projects editor. Gary will report jointly to Observer Managing Editor Cheryl Carpenter and N&O Senior Editor Linda Williams. Schwab will be based in Charlotte, but will also spend time in Raleigh. Editors in both newsrooms will continue directing sports coverage that is unique to their respective newspaper. With this new configuration, we expect to simultaneously eliminate duplication in coverage and maximize our ability to do sports enterprise.

Our news research departments will merge to serve both newsrooms. This new department will be headed by Teresa Leonard, who now heads the N&O’s department. Leonard will report to Charlotte Newsroom Systems Editor Neil Mara and N&O Senior Editor Dan Barkin. The Observer’s Marion Paynter becomes the research manager based in Charlotte. The N&O’s Denise Jones continues as research manager in Raleigh. Leonard will also be based in Raleigh. With this merger, both newsrooms will benefit from Raleigh’s capacity to provide research assistance seven days a week, as well as Charlotte’s deep expertise on background research and issues specific to South Carolina.

The newsrooms’ features departments will work to develop several jointly produced sections that work equally well for both papers. These sections would strive to reduce duplication and, at the same time, retain the local flavor of each region. We believe that both readers and staff could benefit from this collaboration. You will hear more about these efforts in coming weeks.

These are bold moves for two outstanding newspapers. We believe that they will help ensure that these papers continue to set the standard for excellence in journalism across North Carolina for many years to come.
We also have many details yet to work out. For that, we’ll need your full support, talent, patience and problem-solving skills. So, please join in and help us now build on these ideas and make them a success.
In an era of stretched resources, our newspapers are very fortunate that we have this opportunity. There are few places in the United States where sister newspapers are as naturally aligned in terms of journalistic values and geography. We want to take full advantage of it for the benefit of all of our readers.

 

Bold moves? That doesn't mean what it used to mean.

I'd have gone with desperate.

 

A bold move would be for publishers and CEOs and the McClatchy big-wigs with the fat-cat salaries to take paycuts in order to keep more staff from being laid off...

Also wonder how this affecting papers like The Cary News, Smithfield Herald and Eastern Wake News, which are "suburb" community papers of the N&O. As I remember from my brief stay at one of them back in the 1990s, they already felt like ugly stepchildren to the big N&O machine to begin with ...

 

Anyone hearing anything more about Fort Worth? Tried calling a couple of buddies there today, but they aren't answering their cells.

 

Well CEO Gary Pruitt is only making $4,635,355. He's gotta feed his family.

 

Word on the street is that at least one pretty damn good sports reporter is out in Kansas City.

 

Geez.

I just sat here and (finally) read through this thread. Finally out of fear and dread.

I really feel for those of you displaced. I know how it feels.

I guess I'm glad to be at a one-man sports gig. They can't cut that position, can they?

Actually, three months ago I took a gig at a one-man show that was selling. The new owner immediately cut nearly $4g from my annual pay (the amount I agreed to in coming to work here).

I am close to accepting an offer at another one-man show. It's less pay than I agreed to here, but more than I'm making after the cut. But damn, I hate moving. I hate having to learn new people, new coaches, new programs and new coworkers. It isn't easy for me to make friends and I like to hang onto the ones I have.

But I'm thrilled that someone actually wants me to come work for them. Yeah, it's not big money, but with a wife and two kids, it's steady money. And I am happy to be gainfully employed, which I wasn't three months ago.

So believe me, I feel your pain. Godspeed.

 

And, sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, big papers in chains soon will have hometown reporters staying home as their team heads to the city where another chain paper is based.

i.e. when the Cubs go to L.A. or Miami, the Trib guys would stay home.

I'd make book on that.

 

It's just lovely to know how heartfelt and meaningful this sentiment is, given that it was copied and pasted into every one of the e-mails.

 

That's exactly what I thought.

There's not a place in Hell hot enough for the CEOs who continue to hack, hack, hack away while never taking a cut from their seven-figure salary.

Good luck to everyone. Everywhere.

 

The Eastern Wake News is a rag at its best. They started giving it away a couple years back. So yeah, I don't know if you could argue that they should feel like more than cogs in the machine.

As far as Charlotte and Raleigh, I am curious to see how this affects the now four people covering three ACC schools. In a perfect world, one would be solely doing enterprise and not worrying about the nuts-and-bolts stuff. But this world is far from perfect, so I expect one former peer is soon to lose his or her job.