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Chattanooga tries to sneak some out the door

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Moderator1, Mar 25, 2009.

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  1. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    From The Pipeline:

    four were let go in Chattanooga on Monday: a preps writer, a bureau guy for a nearby county, our Washington correspondent and a managing editor.

    I find it disturbing that they didn't have anything on it in today's paper. I don't think it would be out at all if it wasn't for this: http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/03/24/times-free-press-lets-go-of-its-wang/

    From everything I hear, the paper is still growing and still making money, but apparently the Arkansas papers in the WEHCO group are getting killed, including and maybe especially Little Rock.
     
    Moderator1, Mar 25, 2009
    #1
  2. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    Yikes. I thought that'd be one of the last papers kicking people out the door.
     
    JackReacher, Mar 25, 2009
    #2
  3. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    I've heard different stories about Little Rock. Some say that they're ok. Others say they're making lot of changes.
    Chattanooga is a great town and the paper's not too bad. Hate to hear bad news coming from there.
     
    Drip, Mar 25, 2009
    #3
  4. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    From a couple of weks ago:

    http://www.fox16.com/news/state/story/Arkansas-newspaper-using-furloughs-amid-ad-losses/kqEvwenj5kauxGPRCZ2gbw.cspx?rss=316
     
    Football_Bat, Mar 25, 2009
    #4
  5. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    I know there's always an undercurrent of management dislike on here, but I can't help but wonder about all the papers with both an editor and managing editor cutting one of those positions. There have been a few of them that either dropped one or the other and kept only one person "on top."
     
    SF_Express, Mar 25, 2009
    #5
  6. WriteThinking

    WriteThinking Well-Known Member

    This is something I've noticed more and more, too. And I don't necessarily think such contempt is always called for.

    It smacks of needing someone to blame, and, because we, ourselves, may not be in such positions of greater income and relative safety, they're easy targets.

    The situation in the business, however, has probably gotten to the point of being so bad that, in many cases, editors are suffering, too, either with their own demotions, or because of some tough decisions regarding things they're being asked to do to their staffs and/or their sections.

    An occasional reminder or specific identification of who, exactly, people are referring to as "the suits" would seem to be in order, because there are still plenty of good managers, and good people who happen to be managers, out there.

    They have to be being hamstrung and otherwise affected by what's going on as far as budget, staff and space cuts, though.
     
    WriteThinking, Mar 25, 2009
    #6
  7. OnTheRiver

    OnTheRiver Active Member

    That may be the most unfortunate Internet slug ever.
     
    OnTheRiver, Mar 25, 2009
    #7
  8. bigbadeagle

    bigbadeagle Member

    A quick word about the SE in Chattanooga:

    He's a damn good man — and an even better friend — and has looked out after me on more than a few occasions. I haven't talked to Jay in several weeks but will soon.
     
    bigbadeagle, Mar 25, 2009
    #8
  9. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    I can second that, even though I've never met Jay in person. In the conversations I've had with him, he's been nothing short of great. And I know the people who work for him speak highly of him as well.

    The guys (and gals?) in Nooga put out a fine product. It's a shame they're having to cut.
     
    JackReacher, Mar 25, 2009
    #9
  10. clutchcargo

    clutchcargo Active Member

    My limited experience with the Chattanooga sports folks hass always been positive and prompt on their end. Good people.
     
    clutchcargo, Mar 25, 2009
    #10
  11. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Little Rock weighs in:

    Advertising at the LR paper is tumbling like a stone. The smaller Arkansas papers in the chain are also shedding advertising.
    When Alltel eventually closes down, that means an immediate loss of more than a million dollars in advertising. A couple of the chain stores that have closed, like Goody's, also mean big drops in regular advertising.
    Regular advertisers, such as hospitals looking for employees, have dropped advertising all together as they are all either on hiring freezes or laying people off.
    The paper has been fighting an ill-advised newspaper war in northwest Arkansas, with a local zoned edition. The war has been more or a less a truce because both media companies are performing so badly.
    To gin up some money, in the 18 months or so, the Democrat-Gazette launched two specialty pubs — a free weekly tab aimed to take out the local alt-weekly and a glossy, society magazine that was aimed to take out another publication put out by the weekly business paper.
    Both are dramatic money losers.
    The paper has a total of around 270 or so between the two newsrooms, and about 50 more working on the different special sections and specialty pubs.
    When they laid off 7 people a couple weeks back, the remaining columnists all penned tributes and how the "family" was ripped apart, but that was nothing. The paper could easily shed 50, maybe 70, newsroom employees and the average reader wouldn't even notice.
    Worth noting that the paper is still widely read and hasn't had the circ. drops other places have had. Average daily circ. is around 170k, and Sunday jumps up to around 260k.
    I think the last ABC audit showed less than a 2 percent drop in average daily circ.
     
    Moderator1, Mar 25, 2009
    #11
  12. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    So, a basically healthy publication is hit by economic circumstances beyond its control and a disastrous expansion plan launched into the teeth of a recession.
    That last one is square on the head of the publisher.
     
    Michael_ Gee, Mar 25, 2009
    #12
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