AnnArbor.com lays off 14

[slappy4428]

One of the layoffs was photographer Lon Horwedel - a damned good shooter and a damned good person.

Lon's a great guy, a better golfer and one of the best photogs I've ever worked with... That sucks...

As for aa.com, how's that business model going, Tony?
Only regret is that one of those who went to the Freep didn't get tossed on her ass too.

They billed it as something you've ever seen before.

Someone should tell Tony, we've seen it before.

Wolv, I heard sports was hit, although I don't know who or how many.

Damn - they didn't have that big of a sports staff to begin with.

Actually, I should amend one thing I said earlier: The Ann Arbor News was a very solid product before it was driven into the ground. It could have been a very good product for a long, long time with the right stewardship.

Instead, we get this.

aa.com does say there's more layoffs coming at Borders... as for its own follies and foibles? Nada.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

That's unfair, slappy. There's no one there left to write about aa.com's follies.


Last one out the door please turn out the lights.

 

[HejiraHenry]

I have said this before, I feel like I dodged a huge bullet when i didn't get a job there a few years back.

 

[WolvEagle]

Well, at least Michigan Public Radio wrote about it:

http://news.michiganradio.org/post/annarborcom-lays-14-employees#

Jeff Arnold, a sports reporter, was one of the 14. Damn. Jeff is a great guy.

 

[slappy4428]

I have said this before, I feel like I dodged a huge bullet when i didn't get a job there a few years back.

You have no idea. There are two others on this board with no ties to the Ann Arbor area who feel the same way.
As Jim Carty said a long time ago (paraphrasing): You admit you failed with the previous business model, hence shuttering the newspaper. So you put the same people in charge of the web product?

 

[Brian Cook]

I have said this before, I feel like I dodged a huge bullet when i didn't get a job there a few years back.

You have no idea. There are two others on this board with no ties to the Ann Arbor area who feel the same way.
As Jim Carty said a long time ago (paraphrasing): You admit you failed with the previous business model, hence shuttering the newspaper. So you put the same people in charge of the web product?

That's accurate. I went to a couple of local things where the people in charge of new venture described it and it was clear they were closer to empty suits than digital natives. Example: they rented a big, expensive office in the google building. Next time just set the money on fire.

 

[WolvEagle]

Brian - The expensive office space isn't in the Google building - it's a couple blocks from there. Still, it's expensive downtown office space. AA.com could have used part of The News building, which Newhouse already owned, but no...

The News building has since been sold.

Also, two sports part-timers were among the 14: Bison Messink and Kaleb Roedel. Both did a good job. I know Bison, and he's a good guy.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Like wolv said, they are not in the google building.

IIRC, aa.com muscled its way into their current space as well. There was a small company on the top floor, but aa.com didn't want to share. They also were going to use the bottom floor as a community space.

They went to the landlord, said all or nothing, and forced the small company out.

 

[WolvEagle]

Like wolv said, they are not in the google building.

IIRC, aa.com muscled its way into their current space as well. There was a small company on the top floor, but aa.com didn't want to share. They also were going to use the bottom floor as a community space.

They went to the landlord, said all or nothing, and forced the small company out.

There was a coffee shop in the ground-floor space, and the landlord forced it out to make room for aa.com's "community" space. The editorial and other offices are on the seventh floor. The ad staff gets to look into Michigan Stadium from a distance.

Methinks this wasn't a very smart move - way too expensive. Betcha aa.com could have gotten a smaller, less-expensive space in the State Street/I-94 area.

 

[slappy4428]

Like wolv said, they are not in the google building.

IIRC, aa.com muscled its way into their current space as well. There was a small company on the top floor, but aa.com didn't want to share. They also were going to use the bottom floor as a community space.

They went to the landlord, said all or nothing, and forced the small company out.

There was a coffee shop in the ground-floor space, and the landlord forced it out to make room for aa.com's "community" space. The editorial and other offices are on the seventh floor. The ad staff gets to look into Michigan Stadium from a distance.

Methinks this wasn't a very smart move - way too expensive. Betcha aa.com could have gotten a smaller, less-expensive space in the State Street/I-94 area.

But then who would stop by, drink coffee and just hang out... you know, as a community?

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

You can do that at Borders.

Oh wait ...

 

[zagoshe]

Of course, now that RichRod is no longer in Ann Arbor, there is no need for 3/4's of that staff as the "dig up dirt and create controversy surrounding Michigan football and its coach" beat seemed to consume far more people than reasonably necessary