Sunday, April 19, 2009

Spiked

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

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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?

Anonymous said...

Very sad to learn about Eleanor Trouse.

Anonymous said...

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.