Columnist discusses his layoff

OK, y'all, here's the deal.

There's a lot of dynamics here involved in Matt's decision to write his final column, the least of which, from what I can tell, is that he "just gets to be a fan" or has even considered bailing on the relentless, aggressive approach by which most guys (and ladies) in the biz swear by:

You know, bust some folks up. Say, Ali-Terrell, or better yet, Holmes vs. Randall "Tex" Cobb.

1. Fresno's gotten drilled by layoffs, "hard-working men and women," as Matt put it, including the likes of cafeteria workers, copy editors, sports writers and press men. (Funny I didn't see any mention of high- and/or mid-level management, but maybe that's my own trip, so I digress.)

2. Matt wants there "to be a face on it somehow." Fresno readers have followed him over the years. He's off to write a couple books. People in other parts of California, from other parts of the country, might stop by the area and wonder what happened to Matt and some of his colleagues. Without a definitive column of record, word of mouth isn't passed along as easily.

3. To quote Matt, "this was layoff round No. 5, or something." Our place has had four. I was part of No. 4, last Monday. After a while, the process gets to be more than a little draining. No, check that. It sucks.

4. This is the part that I think I skimmed over the first time I read Matt's post in this thread. "After hiding in in my room for a couple of days, though, I decided I didn't want to let the Bee off with a two-paragraph brief on A-15."

That's the one, natch, that I relate to the most. You know, what Connery told Costner, "they put one of yours in the hospital, you put one of theirs in the morgue. That's the Chicago way." Or even better, what D-Day told Flounder in Animal House, "We have an old sayin' in Delta. Don't get mad. Get even."

OK, now I feel better. Sometimes the only tonic is an unexpected pep talk, off the cuff or otherwise, goin' out and kickin' ass and takin' names.

 

No, see you can't fire the management types. They are responsible for making sure the paper makes money and stays viable. I mean without them, we'd have drops in circulation and round after round of soul-sucking layoffs... oh wait.

 

I might be the only one, but I thought the column was a little weak. I was nice, and understated, I guess, but almost too much so.

Was it a final column about his layoff/sendoff, or was it an obit for Darrell Copeland III? Couldn't really tell, and didn't think the two concepts went together very well.

His perspective on Copeland's death did not really lend any perspective or connection to the other issues being referenced.

 

this is definitely a "state of the industry" benchmark.

that the columnist at the Fresno (everybody's farm paper; home of the f'n stud) Bee is laid off before he's scooped up for some big-boy job tells you all you need to know about how things are going.

(yes, columnist at the Bee is a big-boy job in itself, but you know what I mean.)

Ten years ago, getting this job meant you were on your way. Now ...

Woj, big NJ paper, then Yahoo. Canzano, SJ Merc, then Portland. Branch, NY Times.

James, laid off.