Tampa cutting AGAIN??

[Moderator1]

Note the question marks. This is not a Pipeline report. This is a question. I hear rumblings that this is/may be happening, from people in position to know. But no one is quite sure.
Lord how I'd love for this to be wrong. If you know something, post it here or PM me.
I really hope this is not true.

 

[First Inning]

Definitely true. Friend of mine there said last month it was supposed to be mostly management. Here's a link from the Times' News Feed blog.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/2008/11/columnist-dan-r.html

 

[Mizzougrad96]

If it's management, I hope they start at the very top.

 

[Moderator1]

Yep. I just got a PM that said a DME is out. Sports desk is probably going to have 4-5 people working early in the week, which is nowhere near enough for a paper that size.
Jee-zus.

 

[Paper Dragon]

They've got to be bled out by now, no?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Yep. I just got a PM that said a DME is out. Sports desk is probably going to have 4-5 people working early in the week, which is nowhere near enough for a paper that size.
Jee-zus.

Wow. I'd like to see the job descriptions of what those 4-5 people would be doing that night. Even if it's a 6-8 page section, that's just insane.

 

[Fran Curci]

4-5 people on a sports desk on a Monday night?

That is probably very, very common these days at what used to be called "big papers."

 

[reformedhack]

I'm not at liberty to name other names at the moment beyond columnist Daniel Ruth, whose status already has been reported, but at least two others have been let go today -- a deputy managing editor who's been there 20+ years and a general assignment/features reporter who's been there 35+.

Look for the gray hair in the newsroom, and then look for the machete to follow. Just sayin'.

Dan's a good guy, despite his gruff in-print persona ... was one of the few intriguing things remaining in the paper.

 

[slappy4428]

And I think of nights I laid out and designed 12 pages flying solo for a Sunday paper...

 

[JackReacher]

4-5 people on a sports desk on a Monday night?

That is probably very, very common these days at what used to be called "big papers."

Yeah. That many people early in the week doesn't seem that terrible. Even if you have 10 pages, 2-3 designers, 2-3 copy editors...bingo.

Either way, it really effin blows if they're gonna cut more. Just insane.

 

[derwood]

4-5 people on a sports desk on a Monday night?

That is probably very, very common these days at what used to be called "big papers."

How big?

 

[Lollygaggers]

Yep. I just got a PM that said a DME is out. Sports desk is probably going to have 4-5 people working early in the week, which is nowhere near enough for a paper that size.
Jee-zus.

I'd love to have 5 people working on a 10 page section at our paper. From what I've seen and heard, that's almost a luxury. And space is going to continue getting tight everywhere, which equals even fewer people, unfortunately.

 

[imjustagirl]

****, in Richmond we only had five actual full-time deskers when I left. I worked half-half with writing, and other writers would be put on occasional desk shifts. Course, they had gone to a U-desk, so we had newssiders reading some sports copy (which always worked out well  :)

On a Monday, we probably had 2-3 people capable of design/editing and one person who was just a copy editor.

 

[Fran Curci]

"Big papers" such as SF Chronicle, Detroit News, Indy Star, Hartford, etc.

 

[imjustagirl]

Wasn't calling Richmond. Only used it because it's part of the MG trinity with Tampa.

 

[reformedhack]

I'm not at liberty to name other names at the moment beyond columnist Daniel Ruth, whose status already has been reported, but at least two others have been let go today -- a deputy managing editor who's been there 20+ years and a general assignment/features reporter who's been there 35+.

Look for the gray hair in the newsroom, and then look for the machete to follow. Just sayin'.

Dan's a good guy, despite his gruff in-print persona ... was one of the few intriguing things remaining in the paper.

And I have just heard reports of a sports desker who's been at the paper for 10+ years.

That's four from the newsroom so far today.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

And I think of nights I laid out and designed 12 pages flying solo for a Sunday paper...

It depends on how much live copy you have coming in late.

 

[Drip]

****, in Richmond we only had five actual full-time deskers when I left. I worked half-half with writing, and other writers would be put on occasional desk shifts. Course, they had gone to a U-desk, so we had newssiders reading some sports copy (which always worked out well :)

On a Monday, we probably had 2-3 people capable of design/editing and one person who was just a copy editor.

There was a time when every writer in Richmond, with the exception of a few columnists, did a day on the desk. Wasn't that big of a deal and the paper came out fine.
I think papers are looking to go more towards that trend again, at the same time slashing old timers and salaries.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I worked at a place where a typical weeknight was:

Two slots
One 1A designer
Three copy editors
One wire editor
One chief
One local wire/agate
One agate

It was a pretty big paper. But that was typical on every night but Friday and Saturday when there would be 1-2 more people.

 

[hondo]

Note the question marks. This is not a Pipeline report. This is a question. I hear rumblings that this is/may be happening, from people in position to know. But no one is quite sure.
Lord how I'd love for this to be wrong. If you know something, post it here or PM me.
I really hope this is not true.

Paging Jessica DaSilva. Jessica DaSilva, please pick up the white courtesy phone.