Why they hate us

Yep, the pipeline dried up for me in the mid-2000s, which is a big reason why I got out of the business altogether. Started in Flagstaff, moved back to Virginia in 2005 and thought there was a path of moving up from the Lynchburg paper after a few years of hard work. Then Richmond stopped hiring people and started cutting. Same with Norfolk and Newport News. Charlottesville had some openings but cost of living wise, it's impossible to live there on a newspaper salary. Basically in the summer of 2015, I decided I was done and was actively looking for other work, even in beer distribution. Then golf happened and it was the ultimate rescue. But to your point, there is no "working your way up" anymore. That ship sailed long ago.

 

The best time to be a job seeker in the newspaper market was around 1999, IMO.
Like back when you'd be introduced to the librarian during an interview. That's how long ago that was.
And 'their' hatred is validation for a life well spent at a profession. That's how I'd always perceived it.