I am heartened by the response to my last meager post. I think many of you may already know who was on the hit list (see below). From what I understand, there is more to come later this year as well.
Writing this blog is getting harder. The bloodletting is huge, and folks can't blame Sam Zell any longer. Zell 'fessed up in an interview posted on Romanesko (http://www.poynter.org/romanesko) last week that he clearly underestimated the extent of the rot in the newspaper business and that the Tribune buyout has been a failure. It's not all Zell's fault. The people running this and many other newspapers are like the captain of the Titanic. Full speed ahead, into the iceberg.
I can no longer abide the "solutions" many news people still cling to, such as charging for content. Forget it, folks. The newspaper industry had a chance years ago to pool resources and aggregate content and it chose not to. How's that for vision? Google is not a monster. Google is simply filling a vacuum that new people created.
If newspapers put up a pay wall now, they will get some minor revenue but lose a lot of readers. It's time to come up with something a little more creative and 21st century. Hello! Free is not a bad business model. Many newspapers are free, especially weeklies. They are advertising supported and can be audited like paid subscription. Newspapers have to make "free" work.
Dearly Departed
Jerry Jackson, business reporter
Dave Darling, sports copy editor
Yoon Om, layout editor
Eric Palm, layout editor
Joan Andrews, layout editor
Angelisa Pinkston, layout editor
Karen Saunders, copy editor
Joy Dickinson, copy editor, to continue Flashback column
Geoff Nordhoff, wire and copy editor
Andy Goodwin, copy editor
Mary Tindall, copy editor, reporter
Dave Swiderski, copy and wire editor
Steven Ford, copy editor
Kim Calhoun, copy editor
Bonny Shonkwiler, copy editor
David Srinivasan, copy editor
A copy editor who doesn't wish to be named.
Elayne David, copy editor
Terry Godbey, copy editor, 26 years
Nicole Bogdas, layout editor
Helen Eckinger, Lake County reporter
Greg Gammonley, data desk, nice guy
Jay Hamburg, GA and religion reporter
Eleanor Trouse, from library, after 43 years of service
Bill Speros, deputy sports editor
Adam Shiver, sports copy editor
Pete Schreiber, sports copy editor
Robyn Shelton, medical writer, leaving for law school
Jerry Greene, sports columnis, wrote last column last week, after 33 years
David Whitley, sports columnist moving on to aol.com
Lynn Hoppes, associate M.E. in sports, moving to espn.com
Mike Berry, copy editor
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
.jpg)
Watching the Institution that Watches Us
Other blogs
And the People Said ...
I'd rather exercise than read a newspaper ~ model Kim Alexis
For some reason, (media moguls) assume people will want to buy more newspapers if they have less news in them and are less useful ~ Molly Ivins
A newspaper is a circulating library with high blood pressure ~ Arthur Baer
Newspaper readership is declining like crazy. In fact, there's a good chance that nobody is reading my column ~ Dave Barry
America is a country of inventors, and the greatest of inventors are the newspaper men ~ Alexander Graham Bell
Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed ~ Elbert Hubbard
Newspaper Jokes
Two newspaper reporters walk into a bar, and discover these bada-bing jokes. Send in your own favorites.
What's the difference between a managing editor and a sack of fertilizer? The sack.
Why is a headline like a Scud missile? Both are offensive and inaccurate.
What's the difference between a features editor and an onion? People cry when you cut an onion into pieces.
How do you know when there's a circulation consultant at the door? His hat says "Domino's."
If you threw a reporter and a photographer off a cliff at the same time, who would hit bottom first? Two answers: 1. The photographer, becausethe reporter would get lost on the way. 2. Who cares?
Some American newspapers have outsourced their customer service, copy editing and other functions to a company in Mumbay, India. The public face of the company is an Americanized Indian named Helen Waite. Journalists looking for jobs in American papers now must dial Helen and wait.
What's the difference between a managing editor and a sack of fertilizer? The sack.
Why is a headline like a Scud missile? Both are offensive and inaccurate.
What's the difference between a features editor and an onion? People cry when you cut an onion into pieces.
How do you know when there's a circulation consultant at the door? His hat says "Domino's."
If you threw a reporter and a photographer off a cliff at the same time, who would hit bottom first? Two answers: 1. The photographer, becausethe reporter would get lost on the way. 2. Who cares?
About Me
.jpg)
- Maria Padilla
- Orlando, Florida
- I spent nearly 25 years in the newspaper business at five different newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, the Orange County Register, the San Juan Star (Puerto Rico) and the Reno Gazette Journal. My last paper was the Orlando Sentinel. I am blogging about the Orlando Sentinel because attention must be paid to the decline of the Orlando area's only major source of daily news, and to the historical makeover of the newspaper industry in general. Keep your comments and tips coming. Reach me at maria_padilla@bellsouth.net.
Dearly Departed
• Carrie Alexander • Ashley Allen • Scott Andera • Mark Andrews • Melissa Angle • Elaine Aradillas • John Babinchak • Steve Barnes • Alex Beasley • Caralyn Bess • Marie Blom • Jay Boyar • Laura Brost • Matthew Hay Brown • Peter Brown • Bill Buchalter • Ron Bush • Jim Buynak • Mike Cabbage • Alicia Caldwell • Ramsey Campbell • Ken Clarke • Bobby Coker • William Couch • Autumn Cruz • Bob Curran • Dave Curtis • Christine Dellert • Tameesha Desangles • Stephanie Duesing • Cristina Elias • Jane Eto • Mike Etzkin Sr. Designer • Sara Fajardo • Dana Fasano • Trevor Fraser • Shweta Gamble • Barry Glenn • Judy Grimsley • Charlene Hager-Van Dyke • Melissa Harris • David Heeren • Cathy Hertz • Don Hey • Ed Hinton • Sean Holton • April Hunt • Nancy Imperiale • Terry Irwin • Sara Isaac • Bruce Isphording • Dean Johnson • Ryan Johnson • Joe Kaleita • Gene Kruckemyer • Sarah Langbein • Laurie Lawrence • Andrea Lentz • Paul Lester • Denise Lewis • Jennifer Lewis • Jeff Libby • Mick Lochridge • Brad Logan • Larry Lopez • Rick Maese • Rebecca Mahoney • David Marsters • Sylvia Martin • Alex Marvez • Reggie Myers • Loraine O’Connell • Terry O'Roen • Lynn Osgood • Sherri Owens • Maria Padilla • Becky Panoff • Gary Peach • Robert Perez • Manning Pynn • John Raoux • Gail Rayos • Kristen Reed • Carol Rhodes • Tim Rivers • Lisa Roberts • Jon Rodeheffer • Roger Roy • Javier Ruiz • Eric Saegebarth • Jeff Schnick • Gwyneth Shaw • Chris Sherman • Mike Slason • Jack Snyder • Joe Sollaccio • Lou Stancampiano • Matt Steinhoff • Shan Stumpf • Erin Sullivan • Michelle Tevis • Jim Toner • Tammie Wersinger • Keith Wheeler • Susan Whigham • Don Wilson
4 comments:
As I read this list I went to triblink to look up the photos of my departed coworkers. Not being from Editorial, I wanted to know who I wouldn't be seeing in the hallways in the future.
The Triblink home page kept coming up with 'mmm cheeseburgers' and after viewing the teaser I shook my head, thinking this is what our company has come to. This is what people are interested in. Sad.
For those who think Bonita has too much power, just how much power and influence could she have when so many of her copy editors and designers were let go? She barely has anyone left to manage.
As for who has the power and influence, it's scary that Roger and Lisa are in control of so much. Why did Charlotte allow that to happen?
Very sad to learn about Eleanor Trouse.
When I worked in Human Resources back in the 90's, Eleanor was one of my great friends in Editorial. What a sweet, strong, independent survivor. I'd see her walking everywhere, too.
Post a Comment