Up next - Washington Times

"Changes at the Times are rooted in a rigorous business analysis, applying sound and tested financial principles, and shaping plans informed by current marketplace realities,"


Enough of this bullshit. The only clear phrase is marketplace realities.

My prediction: the fancy dancing this corporate parrot did in fashioning this diatribe should be moved to the newsroom where he can write this shit as a reporter when he's completed the slash and burn cancer spread.

 

Fingers crossed for everybody up there, but particularly my bud on the Team Moddy beat.

 

I'll retract my previous statement to agree with sound and tested financial principles.

The American worker is the lab rat in these tests. And the rewards for the lab technicians are enormous. Right, Chairmen?

 

Reinforcement of what Moddy heard from the WashTimes sports business reporter on Twitter ...

No sports section at all!?! Sweet holy Tebow!

 

From the TPM link:

Two newsroom sources tell TPM that staffers were told a new plan, as laid out in the press release, would be instituted in 60 days -- early February -- and those who are not needed in the plan will lose their jobs. Staffers in two areas not mentioned in today's statement -- Metro and Sports -- are particularly worried.

IIRC, 60 days is required for mass layoffs.

 

Knowing a number of people in their sports department, this sucks and a half, Even not knowing a soul up there, this sucks and a half.

Now if this were a video game, a SimNewspaper or something like that, it makes sense that they'd shift their focus towards conservative commentary and news and try to further establish themselves as the national right-wing publication. No matter how much they would want it, they'd never be the Post. So go with your strengths.

Except, of course, this means a bunch of decent good people take it in the shorts. Which sucks and a half.

 

Even conservatives like sports.

 

Every time you think the people running papers into the ground can't get any dumber, BAM.

 

After the news broke last week about the Times requiring a $40 million annual subsidy from the Moonies Unification Church to survive (and the steady drop in circulation), this step is none too surprising. Sad, but not surprising.

 

This is a paper that has never made money. It's always been a fun little side project for the Moonies, and it's a bit surprising that it's made it as long as it has. It's also always taken a slightly different tack when it comes to its coverage priorities -- no Sunday edition, no preps coverage. It's very much an inside-the-Beltway paper.

And saying it's a bit to the conservative side is just a little bit of an understatement. When it comes to political matters, the line between news and editorial isn't just blurred; it's been completely rubbed out. But in a world full of political blogs, you don't necessarily need a newspaper to get your daily dose of truthiness.