The LA Times continues its death spiral

Any names coming out of the L.A. beatdown?

 

Got that right. I think it's going to be a lot worse than the last go-around too.

 

Really, let's face facts:

We're all idiots for sticking with this.

A lot of us feel protected because we cover the top beats, produce the prettiest copy, design the best pages, break the biggest news, but the truth is papers are whacking people regardless of talent and experience. We've seen layoffs for stability purposes over the last couple of years. But look around. The economy is still in a freefall. I fear the worst is yet to come.

 

I have a former co-worker who went there thinking it was going to be so much better than at my place. Unfortunately for him, that hasn't been the case.

I hope he can hang on.

 

I'm saddened every time news comes out of that place. It was one of the best places I ever worked. But I left in 1995 as things started to turn under Mark Willes, and there's been mostly downhill movement since then. I thought it really started with the massive scaling back of the bureaus, but it has obviously gone far beyond that since then.

Good luck to all my friends still working there.

 

I don't know. I was thinking this afternoon that I should have stuck with journalism. That way, I'd have a better chance at landing one of those sweet gigs writing state field guides when Obama has to reinstitute the WPA. Now I'll get stuck digging ditches for some stupid state park for my grandkids to enjoy instead.

 

The kids on the skateboards powered by nuclear energy cells will thank you and your calloused hands.

 

Get that rum and egg nog ready.

 

I don't know why all you are so negative.

It's a record setting year in newspapers! ...

http://graphicdesignr.net/papercuts/

 

Exactly... and if they think it's been ugly in the last two years, wait till the next two months.
This time it's not going to be their business model, but President Dunderhead's and they'll be powerless to stop it.
They'll stop covering things like away games or the state capital or investigative pieces because of budget adn soon, people will stop going to their website -- instead opting for USAT, ESPN, CNN and Fox...
The dumbing down of america continues... Dunderhead is brilliant... it's all part of a plan so cunning, it would have to be conceived by someone with the brain of Baldrick for it to work...

 

Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too.

 

Slappy, seriously? Bush is to blame for the dumbing down of America? For the downfall of newspapers? What's to blame -- maybe for both -- is that nobody reads anymore. Pop culture is responsible. We're a country that has more people vote for American Idol than for president.

Meanwhile, newspapers themselves deserve much credit/blame for their demise. They haven't evolved. The product at most places is crap. They have done nothing to interest people under 50 and their over-50 readership is literally dying off. Then, to top things off, they give their product away online. Talk about dumb. But, yeah, it's the president's fault.