LA Times layoffs

[playthrough]

Sent to me via PM:

Layoffs at the LA Times began today and will continue until about August. So far today, two came from sports: writer Jaime Cardenas and long time ASE Bob Rowher.

[SF_Express]

Don't know Jaime. Bob's a very good guy  ... hope it all works out well for him.

[MileHigh]

Know more than a few people in that building. This is gonna suck.

[SF_Express]

Another thing ...

I've actually opined on here that as bad as this all is, some of it is simply necessary to save newspapers. Some of that still might be true, but I regret saying it.

The reason is some of the completely inhuman methods being used in the ways people are being terminated. The Media General stuff is amazingly bad. Families and insurance and cutting people off just short of important service time milestones.

Now I'm looking at the Times. The layoffs started today, and they're going to continue until Aug. 29.

It doesn't take a savant to know why: Even that big newsroom can't take the hit of 150 people being let go at once. So they're going to drag out the process and make it relatively seamless -- but only for the good of the company.

Those who work an extra month or so might disagree, I guess. But I don't imagine that extra month is going to be worth the anxiety to most.

So yeah, the business is in trouble. But people have forgotten how to be human beings in the process, it seems to me.

[SF_Express]

Now I'm looking at the Times. The layoffs started today, and they're going to continue until Aug. 29.

It doesn't take a savant to know why: Even that big newsroom can't take the hit of 150 people being let go at once.

In the interest of fairness, of which they deserve little at this point, I'm told that most of these layoffs will be within a week or two, with few coming after that. So they're not dragging the process out quite as badly as reflected in my opinion above.

[Joe Williams]

Brings new meaning to the old saw: "Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable."

Now it's: "Comfort laid-off newsroom people, afflict the scumbags laying them off."

From the fact that this stuff is being done in the first place (cut the product, hope the customers don't get wise), to how it is all being done now, to the degrees to which so many of the top brass avoid accountability and transparency (they ought to be returning other media's phone calls about this crap and 'fessing up to their own journalists), these newspaper companies now have forfeited their credentials to hold other horseshit businesses' feet to the fire on their malevolent practices.

They have become miserable members of the business community in their respective markets, yet they're going to pass judgment and keep an eye on others of their ilk? Fat chance.

They needed to handle all of this differently, and better, because of the special role they're supposed to play. The people running the joints don't embrace that because they always have been businessmen first, journalists never. They do not deserve to survive.

[playthrough]

This is what you get when you contact Rowher today:

I will not be in the office again. I was fired today, Monday, July 21, as part of staff reduction of 150 editorial positions at The Times. If you need to reach me, you can send an e-mail to ***

A trusted source says Larry Stewart and Bob Mieszerski are also gone.

[BTExpress]

I just did a quick check of my (Zell-owned) newspaper's archives.

Not one word reported on McClatchy layoffs.

Not one word reported on Tampa layoffs.

Not one word reported on LA layoffs or Chicago layoffs.

But when Citi or Bank of America or Delta or anyone else lays off people, it always seems to get mentioned.

[SF_Express]

I actually remember, believe it or not, when business-side people were actually proud about putting out a first-class newspaper.

Boy, are those days gone.

[MileHigh]

This is what you get when you contact Rowher today:

I will not be in the office again. I was fired today, Monday, July 21, as part of staff reduction of 150 editorial positions at The Times. If you need to reach me, you can send an e-mail to ***

A trusted source says Larry Stewart and Bob Mieszerski are also gone.

There goes the year-round horse racing coverage. Damn. Stewart has been there I want to say at least 25 years, Misery quite some time as well.

Damn.

[Moderator1]

Today's the 14th. Is he working another week?  Not trying to be wise, I'm curious.

[MileHigh]

Probably got the days mixed up, considering the emotions going on.

[SF_Express]

Today's the 14th. Is he working another week?  Not trying to be wise, I'm curious.

Yeah, I have to agree with MileHigh ... that doesn't sound like he's working another week.

[Moderator1]

I didn't think so - curious though if that's when this is effective and he's out this week (vacation, personal days, whatever).   I probably wouldn't be able to type straight, either, but it does raise the question.

[Editude]

Someone I trust sent me a note saying at least six Times sports staffers will be leaving.

[MileHigh]

It's at least that many.

[Claws for Concern]

Bob Rowher is a very nice, very talented man and a talented leader. I worked as a prep football freelancer for him when he was based in the Times' Orange County office. He was a great help to me as a young reporter. I wish him all the best.

[Piotr Rasputin]

Jaime Cardenas is good people, and he did a nice job on MLS last year.

I do hope Grahame Jones is safe, but who knows?

Can't believe Larry Stewart is out. Another great newspaper gives its readers more reasons to cancel their subscriptions.

[thegrifter]

this is all just sooo fucked up!
why aren't any business reporters doing stories on this shit.

[SockPuppet]

why aren't any business reporters doing stories on this shit.

"Oh, stop your whining. All these layoffs are mental. There are no problems with newspapers." _ Phil Gramm.

[SockPuppet]

I heard one of their desk guys _ Jay, don't know his last name _ is out. He's the guy who runs the TheWizOfOdds site, a great college football site.
May the Zell-ott bastards face eternal damnation and empty stock portfolios.

[SockPuppet]

The guy's name is Jay Christensen, out after two decades.

[playthrough]

I'm told that Peter Yoon, a writer for 12 years at the Times, is another one out.

[MMatt60]

You could picture Bill Dwyre --- he's now a columnist, right? --- resigning at any moment in disgust.   

[Joe Williams]

You could picture Bill Dwyre --- he's now a columnist, right? --- resigning at any moment in disgust.  

Frankly, I hope so. He belongs to a different and better era there, a link back to Otis Chandler. I'm optimistic that he doesn't need their paychecks anymore, and his name always stood for the journalism of what we do, not the miserable, low-grade management foisted upon it.