USA Today reporter, editor jobs - NFL, NBA, MLB, college, etc.

I agree with every word. He's hired an amazing staff. Prisbell, Wolken, Schroeder, Schrotenboer... Those are four of my favorite reads out there... The others are great too...

 

Can't really compare USA Today to a typical paper, even a metro. Maybe the New York Times, but even that might be a stretch. It's like comparing the local 11 pm newscast to ESPN.

 

Well, I do think it sounds insensitive, because it is insensitive.

Maybe some of the laid-off folks would have appreciated an opportunity to be part of the new vision for the sports department. I think many would have excelled at it.

I'm not suggesting USAT didn't have a legal right to do what they did. We're all pretty much in at-will work situations, and our employers can largely do whatever they want for whatever reason they want.

But as journalists I think it's sad to dance on the graves of our colleagues just because they hired names that Mizzou jacks off to at night. As if that end justifies the means somehow.

 

I don't know Mizzou. I don't know all of the folks he's so happy were hired. And, if what I wrote came off as insensitive, I didn't mean it that way.

No doubt some of the laid-off folks would have appreciated the chance to stay, and to try something new. And no doubt Morgan might have laid off some of the wrong folks, or hired some of the wrong folks. But I would be very surprised if Morgan hadn't already evaluated the staff before his first day on the job. Would it have been somehow fairer for him to keep everyone for now and then do the layoffs in six months?

Maybe one or two people would have changed his mind. Maybe a lot more people would wonder why he had not been up front with them in the first place. There is no easy answer, no solution that would satisfy everyone, but being realistic about what happened is not dancing on anyone's grave.

 

Technically, everyone they got rid of had an opportunity to interview for these new positions.

You could argue about how fair it is to Office Space loyal employees, but every position was posted internally first and everyone had to go through the interview process.

They certainly judged some people harshly based on a short face-to-face, but no one was let go without some measure of thought on the part of the new people.

 

I'm sure the holdovers aren't happy he's there. That's usually the way it works...

 

Sorry but I'm not overly impressed by the folk they've hired. I thought the guys who were there were doing a good job. It was a shitty way to up grade the product.

 

Just seeing this, but I guess that explains his FB post about packing up a truck and heading for Lexington. Good for Gary!

 

They have hired one NFL writer, but it hasn't been announced yet. (He has agreed to terms, but not announced yet.)

Good hire, hard worker. Should be out in next day or two. More to come, from what I hear.

 

USA Today will be unveiling a new design tomorrow: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2012/09/14/business/media/14paper.html

 

Got a standard rejection letter from USA Today about not getting one of the college football positions. Was kinda shocked to get it, so I'm going to take it as a positive.