Tennessean's David Climer retiring

They're not allowed to be paid by any Gannett outlets, but I believe anything else -- books, podcasts, BLOGS! -- is fair game.

The concept of a journalist having a "devoted following" intrigues me. I don't think readers care whether it's you, me, or no byline on the story. They want just the information at whatever time and on whatever platform is most convenient.

 

I do not know the circumstances here, but David had the Willy Wonka golden ticket when the Nashville newsroom went through the "everyone reapplies for their job" upheaval. The retirement of a sports columnist in October, if not for health reasons, is certainly a curious thing.

 

Jennie Rees absolutely had a devoted nationwide following when I was still in the business. I have little reason to believe that changed in the ensuing years.

That's a huge, huge loss for Louisville, but like others have said, I'm positive Gannett doesn't give a shit.

 

Remember, it's a retirement in name alone, and only from the Gannett side of things.

In reality, it's "We'll give you some money to go away." I think you'll see many of the people who were coerced into leaving with some money before they were laid off still working in some capacity for some outlet.

Meanwhile, corporate will give the individual papers 25 percent (at most) of the money they saved to replace these people.

#NewGannett

 

The Hunger Games reapply process was over a year ago. Since then they are on their second Predators writer, Jim Wyatt left to go work for the Titans and the Executive Editor was forced out. The employee can't pick when buyouts are offered -- you take them when they come. And considering #NewGannett has been sending memos to those eligible that amount too "you should really, really, really take this" why the hell would you stick around if you don't have to?

 

It'd be cool to get a Gannett higher-up pencil pusher to admit on the record that their goal is to get rid of all reporters with 10 or more years of experience because anybody can write and anybody can edit. Gannett higher ups for years have been of the belief that anybody can do our jobs (writing, editing, layout) and it's crucial to get rid of anybody making a dollar. One of the saddest days in Gannett history was when nobody could figure out a way to make "citizen journalism" work. They so desperately wanted the reader to be able to fill the websites with free content.

 

Sometime in the early 2000s I remember our publisher passed around a Pew report that indicated the quality of a paper wasn't a determining factor of whether people subscribed to the paper or not. But now it looks like it does.
» Americans Show Signs of Leaving a News Outlet, Citing Less Information

 

Of course the quality matters. The problem is the consultants, whom all the publishers trusted, had no fucking idea of what they were talking about. Dammit Fredrick should have been a consultant, not these morons getting six figures for making stuff up!! How many newspapers used to have sections catering to everybody - sports (of all kinds including space for golf, tennis, bowling as well as all the major sports nationally and locally), arts, religion, business, news, local, international? Then they got rid of the local arts writers, the business section turned to shit. I'll never forget when one of the rags I've worked at fired the local movie and band reviewer. It was SOOO popular a read. They cut the position figuring nobody would care (uh, they cared). Religion section now?? You gotta be kidding me. CUT! Business section has been cut to shreds. Some papers don't even run baseball box scores anymore or any national columns.
You tell me this hasn't happened to your paper. It used to be there was so much in a newspaper it was a fricking MUST READ. Deny it all you want. Newspapers with local and national news were MUST READS. People aren't stupid. They don't want these skinny rags of today with NOTHING in them. The quality of a newspaper simply IS NOT WORTH the cost. Not close to it. My gosh people. You ruined your own business. We're talking to you, publishers!! Not that you care. You got your wish. You don't have to order as much newsprint from Canada, lol. See you all in a year when it's Internet only with major newspapers employing about 10 people total. LOL.

 

Wait, she was forced out? I thought she quit because her mom was sick? Or was that just the cover story?

 

From what I can tell, a generous buyout offer put David in the position where he moved up his own personal timetable just a bit. He and his wife had been planning to make a similar move in 2016 anyway.

 

Does his wife work there too?

 

No, she's in hospital marketing and communications. Last time I checked, she was a veep for a nine-hospital system in the Nashville area. Very good field for the right sort of person.