Friday, March 20, 2009

Friday March 20 -- Got news or a question?

If you have news or a question, leave it in comments.
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76 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would like to read thoughts on who was fired at all these papers and whether it was a valid decision. If not, who should've been canned? "who"=job title

Anonymous said...

Because of the sensitivity of a separation process, by necessity the lists must be developed confidentially. Although it might not be transparent, there are valid, legally-vetted and consistent processes for determining who will go and who will stay. Sometimes wonderful people are in a selection pool and lose their jobs, and that's a shame. Sometimes "high maintenance" employees you are glad to see the last of happen to be the ones to go. Rest assured there IS a process and that every name on every list and every thought process for every selection pool is carefully considered. Wondering why it's taking so long to hear some announcements? This type of preparation takes time.

Anonymous said...

Charlotte, still waiting, still waiting, yep....still waiting......

Anonymous said...

The main method seems to be last hired, first fired. This has the benefits of keeping talent that has a lot of experience in their chosen field. Sadly, it also means you lose those with a fresh perspective and who may be far more productive, but were just unfortunate enough to have been the last ones hired in.

Another one that is pulled, and I saw recently, was where they pick a job title and eliminate the position. Anyone in that position is gone by default, since their job no longer exists.

It'd be interesting to hear some of the other methods that have been used lately with all the layoffs.

Anonymous said...

For the sake of "accuracy," please update your numbers to include the press jobs. In most instances, those jobs have not yet gone away. Most of those agreements don't begin until next month -- meaning those jobs are eliminated next month. I think you'll be closer to the 1,600 you keep referring to with your own fuzzy math.

Anonymous said...

I took a voluntary buyout last year. Our brand new director (who we only met a couple of times) called a meeting of two departments and said some of us would be laid off. They would accept voluntary buyouts, giving preference to those with seniorty. If there weren't enough volunteers, then the last hired would be the ones to go.

Our publisher didn't come to the meeting, which spoke volumes to me.

Anonymous said...

Wondering why it's taking so long to hear some announcements? This type of preparation takes time.

--------------
Crap! Your entire post is complete and total bullshit.

Anonymous said...

"Wondering why it's taking so long to hear some announcements? This type of preparation takes time."

Obviously we have an HR person posting here, I can tell by the warm fuzzies emanating from that post.

"This takes time", while understandable, doesn't make leaving people twisting in the wind for weeks okay. There couldn't have been some communication in the middle there, about when info might be available? It's the total radio silence that's driven people nuts.

Anonymous said...

There is obviously a paid McClatchy hack here, writing smoke and mirrors layoff information to counteract the inside information from employees.

I think McClatchy is taking processing time to prevent a class action lawsuit. Each layoff goes through attorneys, not this heart wrenching system some fool thinks they can lay on low line employees. Who do you think is most likely to raise a legal ruckus, A 25k, or a 200,00k employee?

How do journalists feel about newspaper executives asking employees to carry on, carry on, until we fire your ass? If anything outrages anyone, it should be the phony fool trying to suppress the real information people need, just like they did during the presidential election process.

Anonymous said...

It does take time as it's all going through the corp legal dept. which is a small group.

Anonymous said...

A poster at the Gannett blog told fired employees to keep good notes, and enter every class action lawsuit they see. McClatchy stinks at the top, I see nothing that will change the road to failure. Employees are entitled to any compensation they can get from the people whose biasness, stupidity, and greed is bringing an entire profession to its knees.

Anonymous said...

Anyone with a brain knows this layoff is a legal matter. This drivel about how difficult these decision are is nothing but bullshit. Just know the truth of the matter. Why does McClatchy, and some paid hack on this blog just not tell employees the truth? Oh, or is there a pattern of not telling the truth? Good grief, how dumb do they think employees must be?

Anonymous said...

Congratulations 5:21. that is one of the finest examples of pure corporate bullshit I've ever read. My God, I suddenly have this urge to foreclose on an orphanage, push over a wheel chair and slap the old widow across the street right in the chops.

There are few people who could look on this process and rationalize it with the utter deprivation of humanity evident in your post. You'll go far. Not far enough, but far.

Anonymous said...

Dear Former Employee,

We view your termination as an opportunity. It can be a character building experience that I am sure you will thank us for later. There are many career paths that you can now explore and interesting new people to meet.

Those fortunate enough to be free to explore exciting new opportunities will look back on this as a learning experience. An experience as exciting and fresh as when you first saw the vast and challenging options available to you when you graduated with that degree in English or journalism.

We are excited for you and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Your caring Human Resources Department.

Anonymous said...

Why does the Bee ignore Obama gaffes? He is thethered to a teleprompter and thanks himself, he makes jokes about the Special Olymics and takes $500,000.00 book advance after being elected!!!!

He is responsible for pushing trhough legislation that nobody had read, and he is responsible for the bonuses given AIG execs.

The Bee claims to be the public watchdog...but is sleeping when Obama slips up!

Why???????

Anonymous said...

I've always been struck by the coldness of HR at McClatchy. I've never seen that same attitude anywhere else. It is Company Uber Alles...they will never side with an employee, ever.

Their attitude has always been, "you're lucky to work here."

Anonymous said...

There was a discussion about copyright laws and posting entire articles on this blog. The referenced article discusses the subject, and implies even the size of excerpts is in question. It also indicates as online news organizations try to become profitable, the restrictions of use will become stricter.
----------------
The New York Times
-Copyright Challenge for Sites That Excerpt-
http://tinyurl.com/c45nsz

Anonymous said...

MONDAY is the word for Charlotte

Anonymous said...

Well its time to say goodbye. I would just like to say its been one hell of a ride here at the Modesto Bee. I wish everyone going with me today the best. To my friends staying keep your head up and good luck with all the work you will be taking on. Hang on tight because your roller coaster ride is going to go into some loops and corkscrews but you will survive the ride one way or another. My Newspaper Career is coming to a end in 8 hours Whew what a adventure it has been 19 years. God Bless you all.

Anonymous said...

It is a good thing McClatchy has a ringer on this blog. NOW, surely everyone sees how ridiculous this layoff fairness claptrap is. Going along with a dishonorable group to get Obama elected should not seem as farfetched to a lot of journalists as they claimed it once was. Live and learn, or live and lose everything. Who would have ever thought an entire profession could turn rogue? I still don’t want to believe it, but the enormity of the media not being the government watchdogs will harm the USA as we have known it. The fault lays at the feet of the media, and their workforce that would willing go along with a gigantic hoax without question.

Anonymous said...

"but the enormity of the media not being the government watchdogs will harm the USA as we have known it."

You mean like how they gave Bushco a free pass for years? Agreed.

Anonymous said...

Good luck, 8:40.

There is life after newspapers. My position was eliminated in June. I was shocked because I always felt I delivered more than was expected.

It was a great career, but we were lucky to have it.

Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself with more respect than your employer, luckily this is not difficult.

Anonymous said...

I have to laugh. "The sensitivity of a separation process"? Are you kidding me? When I was laid off last year, my employer called me on the phone to notify me. Later, when I spoke to an HR staffer about problems with post-layoff paperwork, I was informed that the problems occurred because I had been "termed." Apparently that's HR lingo for terminated. There you go, folks: You're being termed.

Anonymous said...

You mean like how they gave Bushco a free pass for years? Agreed.

LOL. Like when? You and Obamababoon should be in the Special Olympics.

Anonymous said...

8:40 is the type of person I miss working with the most. All class.

Anonymous said...

Like when? You and Obamababoon should be in the Special Olympics.

A twofer of ugliness.

Anonymous said...

Can someone explain to the rocket scientist who keeps posting comments about Obama he (or she) should really find a right wing neo-Nazi site to bitch on. What in God's name does Obama have to do with the malfeasance of the McClatchy Corporation executives. When Pruitt and Weaver started this train wreck Obama was a blip on the radar screen. Please take your drunken racist tirades elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

Charlotte's going to get their's on Monday.

Anonymous said...

I really think some of you guys need to band together and put out a newspaper to compete with the ones that just canned you. they did that in Liberal, KS and from what I understand, they're kicking butt.

Denny, Alaska said...

"Society doesn't need newspapers. Society needs journalism. There's a big difference."

As McClatchy is obviously finding out.

Anonymous said...

McClatchy isn't finding this out. They are ignoring it, determined to continue to do the same things that got them into the mess that they are in the first place.

They categorically refuse to even consider that they or a portion of them are responsible for their own demise.

Anonymous said...

Name calling liberal hypocrite says,
“Please take your drunken racist tirades elsewhere.”

So let me get this straight, you can say any ugly thing, name call, and rant on, but that is somehow justified? No one else has that right. Are you so whacked out, or actually insane? No wonder you are losing your job! Get real, what a jerk you are. Blog comments are for readers to express THEIR thoughts not YOURS!

Anonymous said...

"Blog comments are for readers to express THEIR thoughts not YOURS!"

That doesn't even make sense.

Anonymous said...

I worked at a mid-west McClatchy paper who hired a VP of Human Resources about a month before the "first" round of layoffs a year or so ago...you talk about timing...and as an x-employee that was fortunate enough to be granted a "buy-out" corporate HR (Heather)was awesome...don't be bitter...there is LIFE after being a McClatchy employee...and it is awesome! Still no job...but having wages decreased, pensions frozen, no matching 401K and extra work it is GREAT! I would rather work at a minimum wage job where there is "opportunity" than for a company that treats people trash!

Anonymous said...

I worked for the newspaper for 20 years before being laid off last year. It was hard to leave a job that I had been devoted to for so long. But, life after McClathy is good. I've found a new job and a new passion. All of you will, too. Best of luck to everyone!

Anonymous said...

11:03, racism frequently leads to violent criminal action; just ask Emmett Till or James Byrd.

Please get some help.

Anonymous said...

11:03... you disagreed with a liberal, therefore you are a racist.

Heal your ways...

Your friend

Bushchimp.

http://tinyurl.com/b9bqs

Anonymous said...

No, calling Obama a baboon is racist, genius.

Anonymous said...

2:36 Why?

Anonymous said...

Calling Obama a baboon is racist, but when the Left call Bush a chimp it's clever.

Left-wing turd hypocricy.

Anonymous said...

The one that knows all says,
“No, calling Obama a baboon is racist, genius.”

Now tell us how outraged you were when liberal Democrats mocked President Bush, and said all manner of ugly things for eight years, and their liberal media organs spewed the hate to all corners of the world.
How outraged you were that Barry Soetoro sat listening to a racist so-called Rev. Wright demean white people for 20 years.
Your selected outrage is as phony as your teleprompter puppet. You got the “Change you can believe in,” in spades!
Bahahahahaha

Anonymous said...

still bitter that obama won?

poor baby

should i get some tissue?


why dont you go back to trolling WOW forums so the rest of us adults can talk

To you other folks, the guy doesnt see why calling a black man a baboon is racist, thats because he is uneducated much like the majority of right wing.

Anonymous said...

the liberals were brave enough to call out bush for what he is....a p.o.s.

Now like school children the right wing want there turn, if a blog about mcclatchy papers is the only forum they can get there word out, who are we to stop them?

LOL

Anonymous said...

because everyone in the newspaper business is a journalists....

i forgot that when i was republican(before bush) i had to sign a secret contract that i would support all left wing news even though i was applying for a Inserter job......

guess i should have applied at Burger King. im getting what i deserve..

Anonymous said...

http://bottomlinecom.com/kcnews/wsjpokesstarstaffer.html

The Kansas City Star, held up to national ridicule by the Wall Street Journal.

Rumor around town is that this 20-something Kansas City Star "lifestyle" writer makes 60 grand a year. And - fact, not rumor - despite massive layoffs at her paper, she's still fully employed.

Anonymous said...

7:05

Yes will will lose some press jobs ,prolly next week but to say none have gone is not true.Last year we had some take buyouts and we lost the ENTIRE reelroom group of almost 30 people.Monday things will start at Charlotte from what I understand,its going to be ugly and when it goes down there are legal issues that all these McClatchy papers aren't telling the people being layed off,but that will change when the AX falls.Believe me or not they will not like the outcome,what I'm talking is Federal not state by state.I prolly wont be on the hit list but I will get screwed like others are, like pay cuts no raises, furloughs etc.Just wait until someone on the press loses a hand or worse due to lack of manning we are working at dangerous levels allready and THEY want more...so be it....I'm willing to bet my lawyer is better than theirs.....Black Monday Looms large....good luck my friends.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Racism can certainly worm it's way into every conversation.

People, what we have at hand is a company comitting hari-kiri while in substantial denial, and a collection of people who happen to care whether or not they succeed.

Racism has no role in the outcome whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

I like to read this blog since I work for a newspaper. Why are some of the folks that blog on this site still talk about Obama and Bush?

This is no place for political rants. This is an industry blog. Please take your politics to Politico.
They make one loose their train of thought and after all it is rude.

Thanks for helping us carry on with the interesting topic of journalism and how important it is to America.

Anonymous said...

thats because he is uneducated much like the majority of right wing.


I hate to tell you this, but your inner city 70% drop out rate is not comprised of right wingers home slice.

Anonymous said...

This is no place for political rants. This is an industry blog. Please take your politics to Politico.

-------------
Excuse me please, but you don't seem to understand that this is not an INDUSTRY blog.

It's an Anti-Industry blog hence the name...Cancel the Bee? Get it?

I understand that you work at a newspaper and you feel that you have a divine right to dictate the message, agenda and content. You're not the first and undoubtedly not the last, so please take a second and read the very top of the man's blog so you can educate yourself. (as ya'll like to say)

Anonymous said...

4:05?
Just hang in there as best you can.
I'm with you-- might not get cut this time, but you never know... this is no time for false optimism.
Egotism is it's own downfall, most especially now.

Remember the readers, remember the advertisers-- and try to keep a chin up and your work in perspective.

We still have a product that inspires loyalty, at least for now.
And we owe it to those people that still have faith in us.

Anonymous said...

4:15 pm? Apolgies, my post was made to you~

Anonymous said...

4:37 said...

Remember the readers, remember the advertisers

That would have been a far better motto than "Speaking Truth To Power".

Anonymous said...

Obama is the racist for hanging out with Rev. Wright for 20 years.

Anonymous said...

All I am saying is that I have begun to loathe the whole "woe is me" exemplification of the issue.

This doesn't hinge so much on the survival of the product as it does hinge on the survival of the PEOPLE that care about the product and bring it to the newsstands every single friggin' day.

Anonymous said...

To get the severance, you have to sign a waiver that says you will not sue the company! So.....5:21 "legally-vetted and consistent processes"; "every selection pool is carefully considered"

Right! carefully considered to determine if they might buck up & NOT take the severance - a court case could take years - but by then, MNI will be bankrupt anyway.

Consistent? Where I'm at, the names changed day to day, and the Publisher was the one that had the final say.

6:54 "The main method seems to be last hired, first fired." Our 1st round was low paying clerical positions (to meet the FTE #s?) This time around, it's seasoned, high paying staff (read between the lines - the ones that have taken on many of the day-to-day tasks of prior layoffs).

Myrtle Beach is also losing +-78 positions due to outsourcing of printing operations to Charleston. (Not FTE, since most work less than 40 hours per week)...

Knight Ridder was a great company to work for and I appreciate the many years we've spent together. MNI? well, all I can say is...God Bless You (a Southern term)

I'm relieved to be on the list -and proud to be with the other 20+ folks on it. I couldn't be going out with a finer group of people.

At least now I can get on with my life.

To those left behind? "God Bless You"

"Captain, Permission to Abandon Ship?" Gladly!

Anonymous said...

Excuse me please, but you don't seem to understand that this is not an INDUSTRY blog.

It's an Anti-Industry blog hence the name...Cancel the Bee? Get it?

"I understand that you work at a newspaper and you feel that you have a divine right to dictate the message, agenda and content. You're not the first and undoubtedly not the last, so please take a second and read the very top of the man's blog so you can educate yourself. (as ya'll like to say)"

what you dont understand is that the majority of readers of this blog is newspaper employees. Without us this blog is dead. your too stupid to see that. Moreover, your hatefull and ignorant comments are so stupid most of us look at you like a child trying to get attention. Stupid is stupid does.

we all got it, obama is a racist and leftest are pigs, now go play with your friends and let us adults talk.

Anonymous said...

The Dems have an overwhelming majority of ignorant voters. It's the party of inner-city poor, the uneducated and those ineligible (illegals and unregistered). ACORN made sure the illegals and unregistered could vote anyway. Even dead guys somehow rose from the grave to vote - two or three times in some cases! If you're talking IQ points, it's the Dems that are short on numbers.

Anonymous said...

how sweet it is :)



Im so happy that all the crap these anti liberal fools spout on this blog is worthless because obama won and america actually has a chance now.

Go USA GO OBAMA

8 years of lies, fear mongering and overall ignorance is done thanks god, and god bless America.

Anonymous said...

2:24:

It's not racist because you disagreed with a liberal. It's racist because you compared a black man to a baboon.

I grew up in the South and can say from experience: racism must always be challenged. Nothing good will ever come of it.

Please talk to somebody.

Anonymous said...

I posted a comment on Fresno Bee layoffs early today, and now all I see are rants about baboons and chimps and tirades and nazis and racism and turds.
There's a thoughtful post here and there, I'll allow.
I don't find my comment posted. That's okay. Fresno "don't get no respect," never has.
I don't usually waste time commenting at blog sites.
I was hoping to find some insight into McClatchy Woes here but there is a lot of bitching and going off on tangents.
You all can blow hard on your east coast McClatchy papers.
I'm done with McClatchy Watch, and disappointed it's loaded with a bunch of tweeters rather than insight.

Anonymous said...

what you dont understand is that the majority of readers of this blog is newspaper employees. Without us this blog is dead. your too stupid to see that.

---------------
This blog was here and doing just fine before you all started getting canned and found a place where you could actually find out what was going on with your own company. It will continue to do just fine with or without you. In fact, before current employees showed up and decided the blog belonged to them it was a rather peaceful place.

Anonymous said...

Supply rant --
I am told that my paper will not buy notebook dividers. I am told that we are lucky to get binders for our stack of training material with no page numbers.

Anonymous said...

The Dems have an overwhelming majority of ignorant voters. ... If you're talking IQ points, it's the Dems that are short on numbers.
------
I'm a registered Republican, and I'm guessing your IQ is somewhere south of 80. Perhaps you don't drool on yourself. Prove me wrong. Can you spell "dipshit"?

Anonymous said...

That's "You're," Mr. Spellcheck.
"Your" is the posessive, "You're" is the contraction for "you are."
I was laid off by McClatchy last year.
Huff and puff to your heart's desire.

Anonymous said...

A poor soul that voted for a teleprompter says.

“obama won and america actually has a chance now.”

Man, don’t you read the newspapers? In two months, the ‘Bowler’ has raped the taxpayers ten times over. The only thing correct in that sentence is not capitalizing “obama .”

Anonymous said...

The fault with the tone of the blog lies entirely with the host, who invited McClatchy employees here to find out about their jobs, not telling them he was ambushing them with a firing squad of right-wing mouthbreathers.

He controls the tone here, and he allows this crap to continue.

Kevin Gregory said...

"The host" doesn't believe in trying to control content.

Anonymous said...

Heh.
Personally, I like "the host." ;-)
We haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but who does?
And who, pray tell, currently provides a better clearing house for information McClatchy?

Anonymous said...

"The host" doesn't believe in trying to control content.

But you delete comments that even indirectly mention other sites.

The rules say: Profanity or abusive comments will be deleted. That's controlling content.

Goons dancing on people's graves is abusive. Saying "Die, MSM, die" is abusive.

You allow abuse when it conforms to your ideological bent

Anonymous said...

Soooo, this is the site that trashes "the host" for letting everyone rant and rave. I'm not sure what comments were erased but I have seen "abusive" comments here.

Anonymous said...

10:27 AM

Fortunately everyone here has seen your idea of "indirectly mentioning" another site, so they know you're completely full of dookie.

As for the rest of your childish rant...DIE, MSM, DIE!

Anonymous said...

Thanks to Anonymous @ 10:27 for making my point better than I could.

As for the comment that things here were peaceful before all the journalists showed up, I'm sure it was.

Klan meetings are usually pretty peaceful, too. When everybody's in agreement, there's not much room for confrontation.

Anonymous said...

Klan meetings are usually pretty peaceful, too. When everybody's in agreement, there's not much room for confrontation.




Yeah, I know what you mean. I worked in a McClatchy newsroom.

Anonymous said...

Really? They compare black men to apes often in that McClatchy newsroom? Because that's classic Klan stuff.

Anonymous said...

You're kind of tardy, huh? It's okay, you'll catch on.