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Update on OCRegister openings

Discussion in 'Journalism Jobs' started by tharmonson, Oct 23, 2012.

  1. tharmonson

    tharmonson New Member

    Thanks to all who have shown so much interest in the openings we've had at the Orange County Register. I wanted to provide an update on some of our hires:

    Baseball writer - Former AOL Fanhouse national writer Jeff Fletcher was hired, and he is covering the Angels.

    USC writer - We made an internal move to fill our NFL/media writer opening, with USC writer Michael Lev taking the position. Rich Hammond, who covered the L.A. Kings as an independent reporter for the team's website, was hired to cover USC.

    UCLA writer - Ryan Kartje, who covers Milwaukee sports for Fox Sports Wisconsin, was hired to cover UCLA.

    Sports night assistant editor - Former Register pro sports editor and former San Diego Union-Tribune sports editor Chuck Scott returned to the Register to take this role.

    Senior sports copy editor - Former Register assistant sports editor Chris Bayee returned to the Register as a key addition to our desk.

    Backup baseball writer - We are in the process of interviewing. No new applications are being accepted since we received so many from qualified applicants for our first baseball job.

    Sports copy editor - We received authorization to hire another copy editor. The particulars about this position should be posted soon at our jobs site, http://bit.ly/VmDfBi, along with all other open positions at the Register.

    Thanks again, and I hope this status update helps. I apologize that I haven't had the opportunity to get back to every applicant individually.

    Todd Harmonson
    Sports Editor
    The Orange County Register
     
  2. writingump

    writingump Member

    Very classy move of Todd to provide this update.
     
  3. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

  4. Norrin Radd

    Norrin Radd New Member

    Great for Rich and Jeff, and Ryan.

    But Ryan has got to change that haircut.
     
  5. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Good hires, and congrats to those who were picked up.
     
  6. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    How about pros like Randy Youngman and Art Thompson III? Don't those "laid off" have opportunity to get "called back?"
     
  7. WriteThinking

    WriteThinking Well-Known Member

    No. Maybe this used to occur when layoffs came about, but I think it's an old-fashioned -- very old-fashioned -- concept nowadays. It just doesn't happen.

    If you're one of the ones picked to get laid off, you're, well, the ones who got laid off. Whatever it was, there was a reason, and you were expendable, old news, not wanted compared to others, or whatever, etc., and so, you're unlikely to just be brought right back, not even for less money, which the company is going to figure you'd be unhappy with, and besides, you'd be considered a potential malcontent in general, anyway, even if you wouldn't be that way.

    Once you're gone from someplace these days, you're pretty much gone, and the company is moving on without you unless you happen to get/take the opportunity to come back years later (as a couple of these OC Register hires apparently did).

    If you're laid off, you are "being given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere," as a let-go coach once described it to me. And that's what you're expected to do and what you will probably have to do. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is now.
     
  8. Tucsondriver

    Tucsondriver Member

    You're citing performance-related layoff scenarios. Nobody's coming back in those cases. But there've been thousands of excellent journalists axed for non-performance related reasons in staff reductions, many of whom were laid off because of perceived redundancies or they were in positions the company thought were nonessential. How those cases are handled in cases such as the Register when management opens up new positions probably depends on the company and the person.

    That said, I could see returning to a company that previously laid me off as a bit of a malcontent. Human nature I guess. Hiring managers would have to know that, and all things being equal, would probably prefer a candidate who wasn't carrying that baggage.
     
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