San Jose update

[MileHigh]

Private message from my San Jose buddy tells me that one AME, who is under 30, makes under 100K. If that makes anyone feel better. He is AME for sports and copy desks.

Considering how much it costs to live there, it's really not that surprising.

 

[LATimesman]

That is true. But as someone here already pointed out, if you go from 400 people to 200 over the last few years, you might be able to get by with fewer big cheeses.

 

[MileHigh]

I certainly would agree with that.
They went from Knight Ridder to MediaNews. That is beyond culture shock, as they are finding out.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Our industry is dying.

 

[DanOregon]

One of the departed, Dan Reed, gained fame for saving former Oak Trib editor Dave Burgin's life with the Heimlich maneuver about 15 years ago. A truly great guy, my best to Dan.

 

[Moderator1]

I'll post some more info as I get it - apparently the sports staff met last night to talk about how they'll put out a paper with a paper-thin desk staff.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Man, did the sports copy desk insult Dean Singleton's wife or something? They've assured themselves a raft of corrections.

 

[VJ]

They're outsourcing it to Indianapolis. Wait, wrong company.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Is Lean Dean really lean or is he a fat pig?

 

[Left_Coast]

It's unfortunate folks have lost jobs, but, again, this is not a surprise. This was as predictable as a sunrise when Lean Dean got the Bay Area papers. He's done it everywhere he's gone. And he'll keep on doing it.

 

[healingman]

Hacksaw Dean Singleton strikes again!! Take it from a casualty of his "grand plan" for The Houston Post.

Hoooooooo!!!!!!

 

[Lester Bangs]

Is Lean Dean really lean or is he a fat pig?

He toured my paper more than a decade ago -- I had only a vague idea of his reputation -- and he was your typical suit. Thick around the middle, but hardly a swine. Didn't buy the paper, thank God. But it was probably because he actually walked through our shop and said, "this place needs to add staff."

 

[DanOregon]

An Idaho Falls editor sent a note to Romenesko suggesting a metric for percentage of staff being cut. He said the numbers in layoff stories aren't a fair representation. He has a point - if you have 50 employees when your circ is say 40,000 and it drops 10 percent, it figures business-wise to reduce staffing 10 percent. He doesn't address how this will keep the circ from dropping further.

 

[LATimesman]

I don't think you can directly link staff cuts to declining circulation. To declining revenue ---- yes.

And bad management.

 

[fishwrapper]

Declining circulation is -- at least -- loosely tied to revenue.
Objectively--Lower circulation brings lower advertising rates leading to smaller revenue.
Subjectively--Dropping circulation numbers are noticed by advertisers who believe their product placement is reaching a smaller audience, therefore forego newspaper advertising for direct mail, email, TV or radio. [Now see Objectively]

 

[LATimesman]

Fair point. I'm thinking of when papers intentionally cut circulation to distant or not-so-distant points, and thus avoid losing money on every one of those papers. Also, some circulation declines have been due to more honest reporting of circulation, so there really is no revenue impact.

 

[BTExpress]

Also, some circulation declines have been due to more honest reporting of circulation, so there really is no revenue impact.

Well, when Macy's sees an "honest" circulation report that is 15% lower than what they thought they had been paying for . . . there's going to be some make-goods thrown their way, which will result in declining revenue.

 

[Editude]

Once Macy's shifts some of its advertising to the Web, we'll have a truer indication of the reach (and still robust health) of many media properties.