AnnArbor.com lays off 14

[WolvEagle]

Heard through the Facebook grapevine that AnnArbor.com laid off 14 people - not sure who yet. Plus, three key people jumped to the Detroit Free Press in the last week.

I'm saddened, but not surprised. I knew it'd be a tough road.

 

[WolvEagle]

Nothing's posted on AnnArbor.com. If they're covering other businesses, they should cover their own, too.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Nothing's posted on AnnArbor.com. If they're covering other businesses, they should cover their own, too.

Of course they should. That doesn't mean they will, though.

Typical corporate hypocrisy.

 

[WolvEagle]

One of the layoffs was photographer Lon Horwedel - a damned good shooter and a damned good person.

 

[slappy4428]

One of the layoffs was photographer Lon Horwedel - a damned good shooter and a damned good person.

Lon's a great guy, a better golfer and one of the best photogs I've ever worked with... That sucks...

As for aa.com, how's that business model going, Tony?
Only regret is that one of those who went to the Freep didn't get tossed on her ass too.

 

[NickMordo]

Yay, Michigan! What a ****hole this state still is.

 

[crusoes]

It has nothing to do with Michigan and everything to do with people in charge who ran the Ann Arbor News into the ground, then were rewarded by starting up annarbor.com.

 

[WolvEagle]

It has nothing to do with Michigan and everything to do with people in charge who ran the Ann Arbor News into the ground, then were rewarded by starting up annarbor.com.

You are 100 percent right.

 

[jackandcoke]

It has nothing to do with Michigan and everything to do with people in charge who ran the Ann Arbor News into the ground, then were rewarded by starting up annarbor.com.

Third this. Completely on-target.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

One of the layoffs was photographer Lon Horwedel - a damned good shooter and a damned good person.

Lon's a great guy, a better golfer and one of the best photogs I've ever worked with... That sucks...

As for aa.com, how's that business model going, Tony?
Only regret is that one of those who went to the Freep didn't get tossed on her ass too.

They billed it as something you've ever seen before.

Someone should tell Tony, we've seen it before.

Wolv, I heard sports was hit, although I don't know who or how many.

 

[WolvEagle]

One of the layoffs was photographer Lon Horwedel - a damned good shooter and a damned good person.

Lon's a great guy, a better golfer and one of the best photogs I've ever worked with... That sucks...

As for aa.com, how's that business model going, Tony?
Only regret is that one of those who went to the Freep didn't get tossed on her ass too.

They billed it as something you've ever seen before.

Someone should tell Tony, we've seen it before.

Wolv, I heard sports was hit, although I don't know who or how many.

Damn - they didn't have that big of a sports staff to begin with.

Actually, I should amend one thing I said earlier: The Ann Arbor News was a very solid product before it was driven into the ground. It could have been a very good product for a long, long time with the right stewardship.

Instead, we get this.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Pretty much kiss high school sports coverage goodbye. Not that they covered that much to begin with.

 

[slappy4428]

One of the layoffs was photographer Lon Horwedel - a damned good shooter and a damned good person.

Lon's a great guy, a better golfer and one of the best photogs I've ever worked with... That sucks...

As for aa.com, how's that business model going, Tony?
Only regret is that one of those who went to the Freep didn't get tossed on her ass too.

They billed it as something you've ever seen before.

Someone should tell Tony, we've seen it before.

Wolv, I heard sports was hit, although I don't know who or how many.

Damn - they didn't have that big of a sports staff to begin with.

Actually, I should amend one thing I said earlier: The Ann Arbor News was a very solid product before it was driven into the ground. It could have been a very good product for a long, long time with the right stewardship.

Instead, we get this.

aa.com does say there's more layoffs coming at Borders... as for its own follies and foibles? Nada.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

That's unfair, slappy. There's no one there left to write about aa.com's follies.


Last one out the door please turn out the lights.

 

[HejiraHenry]

I have said this before, I feel like I dodged a huge bullet when i didn't get a job there a few years back.

 

[WolvEagle]

Well, at least Michigan Public Radio wrote about it:

http://news.michiganradio.org/post/annarborcom-lays-14-employees#

Jeff Arnold, a sports reporter, was one of the 14. Damn. Jeff is a great guy.

 

[slappy4428]

I have said this before, I feel like I dodged a huge bullet when i didn't get a job there a few years back.

You have no idea. There are two others on this board with no ties to the Ann Arbor area who feel the same way.
As Jim Carty said a long time ago (paraphrasing): You admit you failed with the previous business model, hence shuttering the newspaper. So you put the same people in charge of the web product?

 

[Brian Cook]

I have said this before, I feel like I dodged a huge bullet when i didn't get a job there a few years back.

You have no idea. There are two others on this board with no ties to the Ann Arbor area who feel the same way.
As Jim Carty said a long time ago (paraphrasing): You admit you failed with the previous business model, hence shuttering the newspaper. So you put the same people in charge of the web product?

That's accurate. I went to a couple of local things where the people in charge of new venture described it and it was clear they were closer to empty suits than digital natives. Example: they rented a big, expensive office in the google building. Next time just set the money on fire.

 

[WolvEagle]

Brian - The expensive office space isn't in the Google building - it's a couple blocks from there. Still, it's expensive downtown office space. AA.com could have used part of The News building, which Newhouse already owned, but no...

The News building has since been sold.

Also, two sports part-timers were among the 14: Bison Messink and Kaleb Roedel. Both did a good job. I know Bison, and he's a good guy.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Like wolv said, they are not in the google building.

IIRC, aa.com muscled its way into their current space as well. There was a small company on the top floor, but aa.com didn't want to share. They also were going to use the bottom floor as a community space.

They went to the landlord, said all or nothing, and forced the small company out.