Unbelievable happenings at the Star Ledger

It really was. This is shocking.

 

Easy. You of course realize they don't care what is in said newspaper. Why anybody would buy it is beyond me. But nobody cares about that. It's all about part-timers, one or two full timers to do the layout and "editing." Stories will be poorly edited from now until the papers finally become extinct.

 

If you took the buyout, can you still work for the paper as a part-timer or on a freelance basis?

 

yep

sounds like this will be happening with at least a couple guys

 

That doesn't sound too awful except there would be no benefits.

 

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"

Never have seen a major paper drop in class (two at least) as swiftly as the Star Ledger. Give them this: At least they've been nimble. Toward what, though, I have no idea.

 

"The play was quite good. My husband might have a difference of opinion," said Mrs. Lincoln.
Yes, the S-L has fallen upon difficult times.

 

I'll steal that.

 

My friend who works at SL - and didn't take the buyout - was rather appalled that the list of non-buyout folks was published by E&P. She said she's heard that some of those people have already resigned or are planning to. I assume these are people that were denied the buyout.

I understand people hanging in there for the short-term. There just aren't a lot of good jobs out there right now, period. And SL people are paid well. But I think everyone in newspapers should be actively looking outside of newspapers.

She was telling me that they had a newsroom meeting a few weeks back, and instead of offering a gameplan for how they'll proceed, the execs asked the employees for their advice. That can't be good.

"Um, before we look ahead, can anyone point us in the direction of ahead?"

 

This was a place that was dangling a year's pay and medical to get people to leave. If you pass up a year's pay and medical, you must be planning to stay well beyond a year or it's like working a whole year for free. The part I wonder about is whether newspapers actually can provide continued employment "well beyond a year" with any degree of certainty anymore?

 

It all happened on the 44th floor. There was something else that happened on the 45th, but that's another story.

 

(grabs barf bag and hurls at the bad pun)