LAT Editor: **** off suits. I'm not gutting my newsroom

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/15/business/media/15paper.html?ex=1158897600&en=89412fb042a62a6f&ei=5099&partner=TOPIXNEWS

 

Re: LAT Editor: Fuck off suits. I'm not gutting my newsroom


Good for the editor and publisher at the Times. It was gutsy and the right thing to do.

They won't last the year, though.

 

Re: LAT Editor: Fuck off suits. I'm not gutting my newsroom

They may not last the year.

But the publisher and editor will have the respect of many in the newsroom who appreciate them telling management "no," instead of easily giving in to throw more staffers under the bus.

 

Re: LAT Editor: Fuck off suits. I'm not gutting my newsroom

After the Fainaru-Wada/Williams rally maybe we should all swing down to LA and buy the guy a drink.

 

Crap. One of these days I'll remember no profanity in subject lines.

 

I think the entire Tribune Co. is on the verge of an implosion. The suits can fire Banquet and put one of their lackeys in charge (and I have no doubt that's what will happen) but the company is vulnerable to a take-over, and if it's still intact in its current form in two years, I'll be stunned.

I imagine the memo from Chicago looked something like this:

Chi Trib to LAT: Stop making us look bad! We order you to cut staff immediately. Our flagship paper's mediocrity must not be out-done. Do we make ourselves clear? Stop winning Pulitzers! Stop it right now, or face diciplineary action!

Thank you! And remember, Go Cubs!

Tribune CEO.

 

Yes. Good for them. But this won't end well.

 

Trib hierarchy have always been dirtbags. But this will spotlight it, like never before.

 

Baquet is outta sight. Couple years ago I was working on something for in-house use and wanted to find out how some other papers did it. At the time Baquet was ME, not editor. I e-mailed him and a bunch of others late on a Saturday night, and he responded within a few minutes. I was impressed first off that he was checking his work e-mail at that hour on a weekend, and also because although he couldn't help me, he directed me to someone at The New York Times who he thought could help me (but wouldn't).

He'll probably get fired. Too bad, but he knows what he's doing.

 

He must have some heavy duty backup on this one to throw it back in Tribune's face like this.

 

These dudes have some serious balls. I admire the shit out of it.

Unfortunately, those balls are probably going to be served up on a martyrous platter.

 

That's all well and good, but it doesn't take into account interest on debt and taxes, both of which have hounded Tribune since the merger and the IRS ruling that they lost.

I suspect the "net profit margin" figure --- the only figure that really matters --- isn't quite as rosy. And Wall Street seems to feel the same way.