The Oklahoman lays off 57

[chase.colston]

I'm trying to find out if anyone in Sports was affected.

I saw 155 jobs, or 13 percent of the company, eliminated four months after I got a job at The Oklahoman in 2008. We got the e-mail from the publisher a day after I put in a contract on a house.

Wishing all the best to those affected.

Link: http://www.newsok.com/the-oklahoman-announces-reductions/article/3459080?custom_click=headlines_widget

 

[TheHacker]

Always sad to hear about another round of staff cuts. Good luck to all those impacted by this. I've seen this happen to people up close -- including to a longtime member of my staff. There really are no words.

And what makes it even more frustrating is the bullet point in the link that says their Web audience continues to grow.

We have that same thing going on at my place ... every time they cite the Web traffic stats they emphasize how many more page views we're getting. We've grown the audience by cranking out significantly more Web content, but our ad folks can't seem to sell any ads on the Web.

[begin snarky gallows humor] I guess this must be why the business is dying, huh? [end snarky gallows humor]

 

[steveu]

Wow. Just through there in April. Paper seemed like it was pretty healthy. Good-sized Thursday and Friday editions. Interesting why they needed to do this.

 

[chase.colston]

Three out in Sports. Don't know who yet.

 

[Brian Cook]

If there's any justice it will be perpetual idiot Barry Tramel.

 

[imjustagirl]

All three in sports were apparently deskers.

 

[Moderator1]

If there's any justice it will be perpetual idiot Barry Tramel.

Weak sauce wishing a layoff on someone, no matter how much you hate them. VERY weak sauce.

 

[writingump]

Agree with Moddy. That was a cheap shot.

 

[Shaggy]

If there's any justice it will be perpetual idiot Barry Tramel.

Weak sauce wishing a layoff on someone, no matter how much you hate them. VERY weak sauce.

No kidding. These are people's lives, man.

 

[Fredrick]

3 deskers. Ah the old, 'we don't need copy editors anymore' mandate.
Wonder if the deskers did any layout. I would think that would be quite a hit to a newspaper. I mean an information center.

 

[HanSenSE]

If there's any justice it will be perpetual idiot Barry Tramel.

Weak sauce wishing a layoff on someone, no matter how much you hate them. VERY weak sauce.

No kidding. These are people's lives, man.

Another "amen" from the choir. Don't know if the OP has ever been laid off, but if you haven't, your feelings about being out of ANY kind of job will immediately change.

 

[steveu]

If there's any justice it will be perpetual idiot Barry Tramel.

Weak sauce wishing a layoff on someone, no matter how much you hate them. VERY weak sauce.

Not to mention you'd have an entire state on your ass if that happened. To many, Barry Tramel is the face of the OK sports section.

 

[chase.colston]

If there's any justice it will be perpetual idiot Barry Tramel.

Yes, let's talk about this "perpetual idiot" Berry Tramel.

Berry was the guy who bought me lunch on my first day at The Oklahoman. He was also the guy who personally invited everyone who had to work on Thanksgiving, or who couldn't go home for the holidays, to come to his house that day. He also works harder than any other person in the sports department. There were people I never, and I really mean never, saw in the office, but Berry's there almost every day doing a lot more than just writing columns.

All three of the guys in sports were people I worked with, and one is a close friend. But no matter how I or anyone else feel about any of them, no one deserves to lose their job this way. Especially in a way where a story was posted on the website announcing reductions before many people came to work, and there was only hours warning that layoffs were coming ... and then 57 people were sent home. No buyout offers, just layoffs. Not to mention I found out they had all received raises (finally) not too long ago. Then this happens.

The ones laid off were a part-time agate clerk/reporter who worked 32 hours per week, a full-time slot editor/copy editor/designer and a part-time copy editor who worked two days per week, and on his way to being fully retired.

 

[wannabeu]

There are several things wrong with that paper, but Berry Tramel isn't one of them. He is one of the bright spots at The Oklahoman. One of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

Not shocked that the people let go were copy editors. Like it has been mentioned numerous times on this board, newspaper management do not feel like copy editors are important anymore (which is a load of crap). Hope all those involved land on their feet.

 

[scribbler]

Not only is Tramel very nice, he's very, very good. And the perfect voice for that section.

 

[lone star scribe]

Agree on both counts. Unless somebody has done you personal wrong, it's bad form to wish for them to be laid off. And as someone who follows the Big 12, I enjoy reading Tramel.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Yeah, I don't understand the hate for Tramel. I've only met him once, but he was a very nice guy and I enjoy reading him. SE Mike Sherman is a great guy as well. I feel bad for him and everyone else there.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

I'm guessing that most of the hate comes from fans of the state's perennial college football stepchild: Oklahoma State.

They'd have a display case full of national championship trophies if it weren't for the media . . . and the refs . . . and the NCAA . . . and jackalopes . . . etc.

 

[Bubbler]

This is depressing. It had been a while since there was a layoff thread on here, I was hoping it would subside. Sigh.

 

[playthrough]

If there's any justice it will be perpetual idiot Barry Tramel.

I'm late here but this just pisses me off to no end (and I've never met Tramel or set foot in Oklahoma, for that matter).

Brian, why don't you go and re-read the ethics of your own blog, namely the part that says "I will try very hard to maintain perspective."