It's called thinning the herd

And over the past few years the technology has created more work. Where we used to edit a story for the newspaper and that was it, now we're also editing stories numerous times through the night for the website, and editing blogs.

 

If your asshole can throw a paper, join the circus.

 

I now realize my thematic blunder. Thanks, Dools.
Fixed above.

 

If your jackass can throw a newspaper, put it in the circus. What about your dog?

 

Golden Retriever. She can get it. But, won't when it's all wet. I tried explaining that to "Sharon."

 

I've worked at six papers. None were guild shops.

 

Before I got out of this business, I was laid off twice before I was 30.

The first time was when I was an online/Web/whatever guy. I was told that my position was being replaced by unpaid interns from the local college. I didn't even have that job a fucking year.

The second time was my first stint as a sports writer. I wasn't give a reason, but the writing on the wall said that management thought the SE put too much into high school sports. It wasn't a valued beat.

I found more work in sports, but I quit not long ago. I wanted some control over my career rather than always being a victim, so I left on my own terms.

Shit doesn't always make sense. Especially in this business.

 

One interesting thing is about that 1-6 a.m. window is my shop keeps trying to have a staffer work from 4 or 5 a.m. to late morning/1 p.m. to do early updates on the web and work on print stories later on. The problem is, every time a reporter gets assigned to the beat, he quits a few months later. Can't say I exactly blame them. It takes a lot of sacrifice to be able to work that kind of shift.

 

As someone who is in his late 50s, makes a very good salary, has a lengthy tenure at my company (and thus keeps accruing pension obligations), I was targeted during a layoff/buyout last year. Only reason I survived is that a couple of folks left unexpectedly. As I teetered precipitously, the one element that kept me up at night was the medical. If I'm out of a job, there's no way my wife (also late 50s, with many health problems) and I could get insurance, so we'd essentially be naked until Medicare kicked in--sometime around 2016. The moral of the story: If we had universal health coverage, some of this would be less painful. I suspect there are many of us in my age group, in this industry and others, in the same boat.

I'm not ignoring the reality that we'd still have to pay the bills, but, along with the buyout package, there would be ways to get by--downsizing the house, for instance--until pension and 401K could be tapped.

Ironically, of course, given that our staff is much leaner, my skills, knowlege and especially my versatility seem to be more necessary than ever. In my own estimation and that of others, I'm doing the best work of my career here. And yet, there I was a year ago, allegedy ready for the scrap heap. Others, old and young, were not so lucky and the product has suffered grievously for their absence.

 

Joe, you seem like good people, but the act is getting old. No shit, the industry is facing problems.

 

Great post Bru. For all I kow I cold be in the same boat (except for the wife) if anything were to happen at my place.