Cuts in Winston-Salem

[Moderator1]

A person with knowledge of the situation in Winston-Salem sent me this, if anyone knows any more please get in touch:

Cuts were announced Friday at the Winston-Salem Journal. Joe Menzer, the Panthers writer since 1995, was let go. I don't know for a fact who the second cut was, but word has it that it was Dan Kibler, the outdoors writer since Biblical times.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

A shame. Winston-Salem is a surprisingly (to outsiders) vibrant area, and the product is well-entrenched on the second tier of Carolina papers (behind Raleigh and Charlotte), which still makes it a respectable read. Plus it's the third corner of the Media General Holy Trinity, so that's a somewhat harrowing prospect for those of us in the chain. I would have jumped at a W-S job because I like North Carolina a bunch, but I guess it's not happening in my lifetime.

 

[ondeadline]

I'm glad Dan Collins survived, but this really sucks. I hope the guys cut find something quickly.

 

[21]

Joe Menzer is a good man and a good friend of mine....another victim of newsroom budget cuts.

No idea what he'll do next, but if you're lucky enough to see his resume cross your desk, grab it.

 

[boots]

Good folks at W-S. Media General is starting to become a very scary operation. It's been going to the dark side for about the last decade.

 

[Stupid]

the very name Media General smacks of evil

 

[Sxysprtswrtr]

the very name Media GeneralDean Singleton smacks of evil

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Media General isn't McClatchy, but it's closer to that than Odgen and Mean Dean the Job-Cuttin' Machine.

 

[el penguino]

For those of us who might happen to work for Media General, how concerned should we be about this?

 

[lone star scribe]

Not trying to be alarmist, penguino, but these things don't happen in a vacuum.

 

[boots]

Personally, I'd say keep a supply of KY on hand, litterally.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Personally, I'd say keep a supply of KY on hand, litterally.

Well YOU would of course.

 

[YankeessSuck]

For those of us who might happen to work for Media General, how concerned should we be about this?

My last stop was with a Media General paper. That was about two months ago. My former SE was told not to look for my replacement until at least February. That's really good news to hear right before football season. It's the same on the news side. They are down several positions on the copy desk and with reporters and can't hire anybody. It's not just a hiring freeze, but a deep freeze, with no chance of a thaw in sight.

Too bad about Winston-Salem. I got to visit there recently and the folks there are good people with a good product.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

I've heard hiring freeze but a temporary one. There's still job postings being put up on the MG board, but I've had two interviews with MG papers turn into a cold trail. It's puzzling. I've heard that they do this every year or so, but at least let papers that already have job openings in the process of being filled finish it.

 

[The Commish]

Via Romenesko, the ME's blog entry on the decision.

 

[Ace]

Via Romenesko, the ME's blog entry on the decision.

The readers (I hope they are readers, at least) really let the editor have it in their responses. They seem to realize the it doesn't seem like a winner to hope to boost profits by providing a clearly inferior product.

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

I was both a reader and a peer of these folks when I was living in NC, and this is just stupid. The WSJ is on a crash course with destruction, and I'll be happy when it destructs. That paper is garbage.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

I was both a reader and a peer of these folks when I was living in NC, and this is just stupid. The WSJ is on a crash course with destruction, and I'll be happy when it destructs. That paper is garbage.

And the News & Record wasn't shy in going after High Point when the Enterprise was taken over by The Borg Paxton. Wonder if they'd take this opportunity to sidle on down I-40 West and make their presence known in Forsyth County.

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

N&R taking over High Point makes sense. Nothing the WSJ has done in the last 5 years has made any sense.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Right, which makes their territory a little more vulnerable. I've only had limited experience reading the WSJ in the last few years, but I'd still rank them ahead of, say, Durham and Ashville (my Carolina paper knowhow is pretty much limited to the Piedmont corridor, so I have no clue how Wilmington stacks up). And I'd still jump at a chance to go to W-S, even if only to eat at the Mellow Mushroom and stare at that one hot bartender girl.