So is McClatchy about to drop the hammer?

[GuessWho]

The KC buzz on this thread was Howard Richman took/was forced to take a buyout, but I haven't heard any other names.

I agree about the section. KC's a pretty damn good paper overall, so I hope McClatchy's cuts don't have a dramatic effect on the quality.

Damn that forkn sucks! Howard's a great guy. He could give you the home phone number for a kid he covered 20 years ago.
Great forkn guy!

Howard is a great guy. As a young guy, learning the business while working on his beat, nothing ever meant more to me than when he approached me and complimented me on this exclusive interview and story I snagged. Even today I think that was classy and cool considering where he was and where I was in our careers.

That really, really sucks. If anyone has a private e-mail for him, I'd really appreciate if you could pass it along via PM. Thanks.

Ditto to all the above. Howard is a pro's pro. Not that that matters to the beancounters.

 

[lone star scribe]

and they don't want to make phone calls at all hours, work on days off, or work on inconsistent or odd-ball schedules/shifts anymore.

They'd much rather work nights, weekends and holidays. THAT'S your argument?

You're right on, Mustard. Whenever a former boss wanted to heap praise on a story/project, he always singled out the writer, the assigning editor, maybe the page 1 designer, "and the desk." Because he was too f---ing lazy to find out who did the work, and didn't really care anyway. Until there was a mistake. Then he moved heaven and earth to lay the blame, even if it was misdirected.

 

[imjustagirl]

and they don't want to make phone calls at all hours, work on days off, or work on inconsistent or odd-ball schedules/shifts anymore.

They'd much rather work nights, weekends and holidays. THAT'S your argument?

That's pretty much my argument.

My paper re-orged and ended my previous part-desk/part-writing job description. I'm now a writer. I was not asked which I would rather do.

I would have chosen desk.

You don't think writers work nights, weekends and holidays? They do. They just don't know WHEN they will.

 

[Write-brained]

and they don't want to make phone calls at all hours, work on days off, or work on inconsistent or odd-ball schedules/shifts anymore.

They'd much rather work nights, weekends and holidays. THAT'S your argument?

You're right on, Mustard. Whenever a former boss wanted to heap praise on a story/project, he always singled out the writer, the assigning editor, maybe the page 1 designer, "and the desk." Because he was too f---ing lazy to find out who did the work, and didn't really care anyway. Until there was a mistake. Then he moved heaven and earth to lay the blame, even if it was misdirected.

As a writer, my perception is that the copy desk is always the last ones to get blamed for a mistake. Reporters are the ones with the bylines. They get the calls from the readers and the editors.

 

[WriteThinking]

and they don't want to make phone calls at all hours, work on days off, or work on inconsistent or odd-ball schedules/shifts anymore.

They'd much rather work nights, weekends and holidays. THAT'S your argument?

No. You've only pulled half of the paragraph I wrote, which skews what I said, and what you're saying, for your convenience.

My point was that editors/papers need people to do the legwork on stories and to put them together before any copy editors or designers can do anything with them. If not for reporters, there would be nothing for people farther up the line to work on, and that's part of the reason for emphasis on, ideally, having more reporters than copy editors.

And for the reasons I cited previously, I believe it is easier to find reporters who may also want to be copy editors, or who eventually aspire to become copy editors, than it is to find copy editors who would be willing to be reporters.

As for why copy editors are unsung -- sometimes even completely unnoticed -- until there are mistakes, that is because their first duty is, essentially, quality control.

Ideally, that should be their only job. But even if it isn't, it is their job one.

Hence, whether it is necessarily always fair, or not, the blame for a lack/shortfall of quality often falls on the copy desk. It has to do with the nature/purpose of the job.

 

[FreddiePatek]

This thread is devolving into a "who should be canned first" debate. I say we set aside the argument about who's most valuable between copy editors and reporters and get back to the issue at hand. Let's continue to shine a light on those who are out of a job because of McClatchy's broken business model and wish them well.

 

[Guy on the couch]

I ... am going to be sick. Ugh.

 

[Sxysprtswrtr]

I ... am going to be sick. Ugh.

I've got some extra barf bags right here in my newsroom. Some used. Some not. Take your pick.

 

[Shaggy]

Rumor has it the Star wants to steal the Wichita Eagle's K-State coverage. Richman won't be replaced.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

The Wildcat fans in Johnson Co.are going to love that. There's already an inferiority complex, now you're going to tell them KU and Mizzou are good enough for a beat writer, but K-State isn't?

 

[CollegeJournalist]

From what I've heard in Lexington, there were three or four on the news side that lost jobs. None were in sports, from what I was told.

 

[FreddiePatek]

The State will announce its buyouts/layoffs next Friday.