Thursday, February 19, 2009

Rumblings in Raleigh

From comments:
More grim news from Executive Editor John Drescher in Raleigh. More lay-offs...size and number to be determined by the boys at the head office based on a MONETARY number only, meaning firings until a certain level of money is obtained. Salary cuts, at this time not sure if it will be across the board, above a certain pay grade, or percentage of how much you make. Not one but a two week furlough (fancy word for a SECOND pay cut. Lay-offs are to be on the level of the September 2008, which means in all probability 20-30 more in the newsroom. The policy will be last hire first fire. Looking for some voluntary buyouts but there is no guarantee this will save anyone else's job. Worst case scenario apparently losing the Monday and Tuesday features section. And cutting even more pages from the news and sports sections.


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36 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Kevin. Please remove this just takes up space

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't that hed read "Crumblings in Raleigh"?

Anonymous said...

5:08 Needs to find another blog. I don't have the time to scroll down all that________. We are trying to get McClatchy news. This has nothing to do with it.

Anonymous said...

Lots of talk about cutbacks in the newsroom. Any word about other areas of the paper? There are many other folks at a paper besides newsroom folks.

Anonymous said...

When are these reported and rumored cuts supposed to be implemented across McClatchy?

Anonymous said...

Thanks Kevin in removing 5:08. Good job we appreciate it.

Anonymous said...

I hear it is reporters again at the KC Star where most of the cuts will be.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it about time the print plant at KC makes the big cuts? Much of those jobs are automated and no longer need to be filled with craftsmen as they once were.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for removing the 5:08 post. The sick people that post off-topic nonsense have a reason. They especially try to post a long post first, so everyone has to slog through it. I am sure there are many reasons to NOT want employees sharing information. Deleting that post will help defeat their little games of trying to distract readers from the subject at hand. Give it up trolls!

Anonymous said...

Raleigh has a ton of middle managers the newsroom could do without. Also a several reporters on beats that could be elimiated with no impact on the readers whatsoever. However, if they're going last in first out, those people will remain and the product will suffer.
Also, it's not a salary cut across the board. The dept. heads have volunteered to take salary cuts to spare a few jobs. Which is nice in theory, but doubtful the big cheeses will spare employees because of it, but instead just look at it as extra money they're saving.

Anonymous said...

-Isn't it about time the print plant at KC makes the big cuts?-

I dunno. You may find that the print plant's capabilities and it's ability to take in outside work are one of the few solid profit centers left.

Anonymous said...

KC bought 4 presses and I understand they use only 2. Just how much money did they pay for each press?

Let me get this straight. They only use 2 of the 4 presses they bought and take in extra print jobs with those 2. So maybe they really only needed one?

Anonymous said...

-- So maybe they really only needed one?--

It takes four presses to print a newspaper. You can read all about the process here:
amazon.com/Pocket-Pal-Graphic-Production-Handbook/dp/0883623382

You know, the more you know and all that.

Anonymous said...

8:23 I know how many presses they they use. It is two. Amazon are you crazy?

Anonymous said...

Yes 8:14 and they also used them to print "Riseup". Way to go KC Star.

8:23 Do you really think that all presses run the same.

Anonymous said...

7:52 -
That's too bad. Last in, first out does not help *any* organization rid itself of dead wood. Also, first in folks are most likely at the lower end of the salary scale, so it takes so many more casualties to meet their cost-cutting goals.

Wish this sentiment could be emailed to John Drescher, fwiw.

Anonymous said...

--how many presses they they use. It is two. --

Four presses.
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Any idiot with a basic knowledge of printing knows this.

Anonymous said...

The company can get around the "last in, first out" if they want. All they have to do is eliminate the position - for instance, no more music critics. It's not profitable for the company to keep veterans because they make too much, file too many health claims. The kids are cheap to hire, cheap to fire. Vets are best served by taking a buyout - if they're offered this time around.

Anonymous said...

11:03,
Each color doesn't get it own press. The Star-Telegram manages to get out three or four nights a week with two presses running.

Anonymous said...

11:03 meet 11:49!

Anonymous said...

11:03 I guess we now know who's the "Idiot" YOU.

Anonymous said...

- I guess we now know who's the "Idiot" YOU.--

I gave you the chance to prove me wrong back in 11:03. All you had to say was that each unit has 4 rollers. It appears you've never set foot in a printing plant.

Anonymous said...

What time is it?

Sonnet time, baby!

The other two, slight air, and purging fire
Are both with thee, wherever I abide;
The first my thought, the other my desire,
These present-absent with swift motion slide.
For when these quicker elements are gone
In tender embassy of love to thee,
My life, being made of four, with two alone
Sinks down to death, oppress'd with melancholy;
Until life's composition be recured
By those swift messengers return'd from thee,
Who even but now come back again, assured
Of thy fair health, recounting it to me:
This told, I joy; but then no longer glad,
I send them back again, and straight grow sad.

Anonymous said...

2:14 meet 11:49.

Each press runs all four colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

I postively know that The Kansas City Star presses run like this.

What newspaper do you work at that it takes a press for each color???????

Anonymous said...

Do these people really work in the newspaper business. All four color negatives are used to make a color printing plate.

These color plates produce full color pages on the same press.

Do you think that maybe Gary Pruitt or another corporate guy is posting this ridiculous stuff about using 4 presses for 4 colors.

I bet they don't know either.

Girly Girl

Anonymous said...

Some of these newspaper people evidently aren't aware of the difference between a press and a web of an offset press.

Interesting.

Anonymous said...

4:02 Yep! Scary isn't it? We wonder what in the hell is wrong with McClatchy you now know. He'll probably be one that keeps his job.

He 11:03 said any "idiot" would know that. 11:03 that tag is on you.

Anonymous said...

Hey 11:03 you better go back to Amazon and read about newspaper presses. What an idiot!

Anonymous said...

Kevin please delete 2:22 he's back again.

Anonymous said...

Although a slap-fight over four-color printing is really entertaining, I'd rather read poetry.

Anonymous said...

I love the sonnets. They are the one bright note in this litany of fear and anger and angst.

Anonymous said...

We share a sad and starry night

Oh Pru you dear one
Who held like fateful asp
nearer my bosom

Did me wrong!

And now I only wish you would
Give back what is not your due
And leave us all without you

Anonymous said...

Can the administrator of this blog please get rid of the sonnet guy?

We want to talk about Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. We want to tell people how to get rid of full color blacks. Not that it will matter in the future but please, let us stop this BS from this newspaper blog.

We want to discuss what kind of jobs we will be able to get when they finally get their act together and put us on the chopping block.

We want to know if we will get our pensions and will different newspapers get different severance packages.

This news is helpful to us all but the sonnets are a aggravating.

Anonymous said...

here in raleigh,the agony of waiting still persist.pay cuts,furlough and layoffs will be announced monday AM..of course the working class pays for the big wigs mismanagment

Anonymous said...

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,
And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?