This blog is mainly about the spectacular train wreck at The Sacramento Bee and its parent company, the McClatchy Company. But I also post about current events, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, politics, anything else that grabs my attention. Take a look around this blog, hope you enjoy it.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday March 1 -- Got news or a question?
If you have news or a question, leave it in comments. . .
47 comments:
Anonymous
said...
George W. Obama and Barack Hussein Bush: Some Notes on the Presidential Politics of Emergency
It seems the newsies that found fault with President Bush for his Emergency Thinking and actions about terrorism, don’t find the emergency thinking and actions of Obama about an economic depression.
Odd how that works. 3000 Americans were killed from the 9/11 attacks, but the economic depression deaths have not been tallied as of yet.
Although MNI staff will never report anything remotely bad about the new guy as a matter of policy, the about to be laid off staff, in their personal lives, will feel the great sting of his central planning policies.
Ironically, with having a journalism degree, and drunken the Kool-Aid of disinterested note taking, they can not remotely fathom their responsibility of getting us into this position.
Question: Instead of "cancel the bee" would it not be in the best interest of employees to urge readers to write management about the importance of the Bee to them, especially the regional (local) news that they can't get as well elsewhere (schools, city councils, etc.)I really want the paper to survive, not to do without it. That means the loss of both news and jobs.
Get ready for this, the need for local school news has been handily dispatched already. A high school news reporter will follow sports and school events for class credit. They will post the scores, highlights, and photos on line in real time. No need to pick a soggy paper out of your yard the next day.
A friend of mine wrote that he has to apply for his own job again. The newspaper gurus have decided there is no fair way to cut the staff without losing too much talent. Everyone has to renew their resume, submit an article to be judged, submit references from co-workers as to teamwork appreciation, blah, blah, blah. He also said the backstabbing going on makes it a little more difficult to get good co-worker recommendations.
Elected official nitwits: At a recent local government meeting, the director of recycling services bemoaned the fact that ‘newspapers’ were being thrown into the recycling bins still wrapped in their original, dreaded, plastic wrappers. One elected official said perhaps the manager should advertise in the ‘newspapers’ that the plastic must be removed before being recycled.
Apparently Raleigh is waiting until the end of March for their bloodbath. The word is they are going to lay-off so many people it will trigger a WARN alert due to the lay-offs in January.
Rhonda Cult Fix: Is Rhonda Lokeman ‘High’ on life? Or just having another ‘Three Tire’ day? In case you haven’t had the displeasure of reading the garbage of ‘Wheelie’ Lokeman, try this whacked-out whatever. Ode to Barbaro http://www.creators.com/opinion/rhonda-lokeman/ode-to-barbaro.html
A good give-and-take conversation about diversity hires at the Bee just got deleted on the Bee guild site. Seems some of the employees want bad "diversity" hired managers to get in on the layoffs, but the PC police (the guild president) blew out the comments.
Anonymous 9:03 I wonder if anybody captured the comment... I remember one quote in the paragraph was something like, "diversity isn't a dirty word but it is a bad hiring practice..."
There were more than one diversity post deletions (three or four) on the Sac guild site and it was the Prez who hit the dump button. He owned up to it in a forum post that is still there. Good stuff while it existed!
The diversity comments weren't just about bad management hires (diversity hires), but diversity-hired reporters and such too. Some posters even named names.
It gives me no joy to criticize a daily newspaper, truly. I actually linked to the Guild Web site from your site and did not realize that I should not be posting there. I would go back and apologize for posting where I should not have, but I do wonder why their Web site isn't secured against outside postings. It's not clearly identified as a members-only forum. Maybe they should ask their webmaster about that. Actually, Bee employees are their own worst enemy. And no matter what happens to them they will believe that they are striking a blow for freedom and democracy, poor dears.
Since there are only about 25 Sac Bee guild newsroom employees in good standing (those who are up to date with their dues), it seems a little ridiculous that so few will be dictating by vote the future of so many. Even if all were in good standing, they only represent about 25 percent of total employees.
It's too bad the McClatchy NAME is associated with this debacle as C.K. and Eleanore were upstanding people who cared about their paper and their employees. They even encouraged union participation...or at least did not discourage it. They knew their employees and knew many of their families, but now it is just the way Corporate America does business. If they could get it printed in China and shipped here in time they most likely would!
---------------------------- Thursday, February 12, 2009 Sacramento Bee management warns: "mass layoffs" a possibility beginning in March
The company said all options are being considered, but that layoffs would occur in quantities to trigger a federal WARN Act notification by The Sacramento Bee – required when a company does mass layoffs. ----------------------------------
This makes me wonder if all the major MNI papers are in the process of doing the same thing. If you look at the history of possible announcements that were later delayed, if gives strong credence that MNI papers are going to trigger a federal WARN Act across the properties. We keep hearing small snippets of comments from finance jobs being outsourced in Ft Worth, to Guild members forced to vote on a take it or else offer that will casue huge layoffs if not acepted, to entire production departments being decimated in Macon & Myrtle Beach , and possible triple digit losses in Kansas City.
Well here we are March 1 and its funny that the movie ‘Watchmen (out this Friday) with hints of the Apacylpse on the horizon, and daylight saving around the corner. We could be seeing the beginning of the end of MNI papers as we know it. The level of mistakes in the quality of the printed product will only grow larger due to the loss of employees.
And yet one can’t help but stare at the train as it gets closer jumping off the track.
How true about diversity. There are a big number of employees who just keep their mouths shut because of the shit they'd get from management for voicing an honest opinion about diversity. Truth be known, most think it's ridiculous and counter productive.
The Man Who Would Own McClatchy? by Jeff A. Taylor
Meet John Rogers. Arms of his Ariel Investments control 26 percent of all outstanding MNI stock. Why? Rogers cannot possibly think that MNI will reverse course and move north. I have to think that Rogers plans on being at the table when MNI declares bankruptcy and/or is taken private. Meanwhile, looks like the layoffs, pay cuts, and required furloughs are coming down the pike. Here’s what I don’t get, though. Would MNI operations in the Carolinas ever announce such steps — or just stonewall?
-On race, blacks are cowards too- St. Petersburg Times by Bill Maxwell 3/1/2009
Attorney General Eric Holder is catching flak for saying...(snip) Holder, the first black to head the Justice Department, is absolutely right. Based on responses to his remarks, most people assume that the "cowards" Holder refers to are white Americans.(Snip)Holder should make a second speech on race, this time specifically taking blacks to task for keeping silent on the abandonment of their personal responsibilities.
The Star Telegram is raising their single copy rates and that news was buried on page 6b today.
I know this isn't such gripping news as all the whining going on with no real purpose to it but it's just another symbol of Gary Wortel's reign as publisher. If he lived in the dark ages he'd be the guy with the black mask on at the guillotine.
"The Star Telegram is raising their single copy rates and that news was buried on page 6b today." ----
Also heard that a raise in price was forthcoming. Add this insult to the proposed talk of charging more for the TV book and other features currently included at no cost to the customer and you have another recipe for disaster courtesy of our own local Gary, Gary Wortel!
When the ST requires decisions requiring a total lack of direction, focus, and overall leadership, we don't have to wait for "Corp Gary" to screw things up, we just ask "Local Gary" to fire one off.
47 comments:
George W. Obama and Barack Hussein Bush:
Some Notes on the Presidential Politics of Emergency
It seems the newsies that found fault with President Bush for his Emergency Thinking and actions about terrorism, don’t find the emergency thinking and actions of Obama about an economic depression.
Odd how that works. 3000 Americans were killed from the 9/11 attacks, but the economic depression deaths have not been tallied as of yet.
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2009/02/george-w-obama-and-barack-hussein-bush.html
Why hasn't Gary 'Golden boy' Pruitt been fired? What is it going to take, MNI stock 00.00?
No one said much about MNI falling below 50 cents. Was that another firewall breach, or doesn’t it matter anymore?
Although MNI staff will never report anything remotely bad about the new guy as a matter of policy, the about to be laid off staff, in their personal lives, will feel the great sting of his central planning policies.
Ironically, with having a journalism degree, and drunken the Kool-Aid of disinterested note taking, they can not remotely fathom their responsibility of getting us into this position.
The next firewall is running out of the unemployment office when you see what your standing next to after going inside
Good question 7:28....I've heard rumors of someone big being fired in the next couple of weeks. We shall see.
Question: Instead of "cancel the bee" would it not be in the best interest of employees to urge readers to write management about the importance of the Bee to them, especially the regional (local) news that they can't get as well elsewhere (schools, city councils, etc.)I really want the paper to survive, not to do without it. That means the loss of both news and jobs.
Get ready for this, the need for local school news has been handily dispatched already. A high school news reporter will follow sports and school events for class credit. They will post the scores, highlights, and photos on line in real time. No need to pick a soggy paper out of your yard the next day.
A friend of mine wrote that he has to apply for his own job again. The newspaper gurus have decided there is no fair way to cut the staff without losing too much talent. Everyone has to renew their resume, submit an article to be judged, submit references from co-workers as to teamwork appreciation, blah, blah, blah. He also said the backstabbing going on makes it a little more difficult to get good co-worker recommendations.
Elected official nitwits:
At a recent local government meeting, the director of recycling services bemoaned the fact that ‘newspapers’ were being thrown into the recycling bins still wrapped in their original, dreaded, plastic wrappers. One elected official said perhaps the manager should advertise in the ‘newspapers’ that the plastic must be removed before being recycled.
Bhahahahahaha
Sounds like The doctor is no longer working on the patient.
It’s now the jackals turn to nip at the carcass
TRINKETS, we haven’t discussed them in a while.
Seriously, how are or did they sell? With the more socialism and tax increases we get on a daily basis, how are those trinkets selling?
Apparently Raleigh is waiting until the end of March for their bloodbath. The word is they are going to lay-off so many people it will trigger a WARN alert due to the lay-offs in January.
Next trinket for sale:
Obama’s Queenly Tiara
Guaranteed to glitter, but don‘t bite the Hope Diamonds for authenticity purposes.
Obama may have won a rigged beauty contest, but the tiara on his little head is still made of paste, and his rose bouquet is full of thorns.
Rhonda Cult Fix:
Is Rhonda Lokeman ‘High’ on life? Or just having another ‘Three Tire’ day? In case you haven’t had the displeasure of reading the garbage of ‘Wheelie’ Lokeman, try this whacked-out whatever.
Ode to Barbaro
http://www.creators.com/opinion/rhonda-lokeman/ode-to-barbaro.html
Barry Soetoro (aka) Barack Obama is still blowing smoke.
Bad habit that.
A good give-and-take conversation about diversity hires at the Bee just got deleted on the Bee guild site. Seems some of the employees want bad "diversity" hired managers to get in on the layoffs, but the PC police (the guild president) blew out the comments.
TIARA! You make me laugh dude!
Anonymous 9:03 -- I saw that comment earlier this morning, I can't believe Ed Fletcher deleted it -- if in fact Ed is the one who did the deleting.
Re: “Seems some of the employees want bad "diversity" hired managers to get in on the layoffs..”
We have an affirmative action president, get used to it.
LIFO = Last In First Out
Anonymous 9:03 I wonder if anybody captured the comment... I remember one quote in the paragraph was something like, "diversity isn't a dirty word but it is a bad hiring practice..."
There were more than one diversity post deletions (three or four) on the Sac guild site and it was the Prez who hit the dump button. He owned up to it in a forum post that is still there. Good stuff while it existed!
The diversity comments weren't just about bad management hires (diversity hires), but diversity-hired reporters and such too. Some posters even named names.
Cassandra, you are a doll for posting objective and factual information and I thank you!
It gives me no joy to criticize a daily newspaper, truly. I actually linked to the Guild Web site from your site and did not realize that I should not be posting there. I would go back and apologize for posting where I should not have, but I do wonder why their Web site isn't secured against outside postings. It's not clearly identified as a members-only forum. Maybe they should ask their webmaster about that.
Actually, Bee employees are their own worst enemy. And no matter what happens to them they will believe that they are striking a blow for freedom and democracy, poor dears.
Cassandra, you are a breath of fresh air.
It is the same no matter where you go with a McClatchy footprint darlin and most everyone knows it.
Best of luck and keep them deleting...often.
Actually, Bee employees are their own worst enemy.
Their problem is that their union is run by the very people that caused half their troubles and destroyed their credibility. The Editorial Goons.
The truth does have a certain ring to it doesn't it?
Cassandra’s just springs forward. MNI's, “Truth to Power”. not so much
Since there are only about 25 Sac Bee guild newsroom employees in good standing (those who are up to date with their dues), it seems a little ridiculous that so few will be dictating by vote the future of so many. Even if all were in good standing, they only represent about 25 percent of total employees.
It's too bad the McClatchy NAME is associated with this debacle as C.K. and Eleanore were upstanding people who cared about their paper and their employees. They even encouraged union participation...or at least did not discourage it. They knew their employees and knew many of their families, but now it is just the way Corporate America does business. If they could get it printed in China and shipped here in time they most likely would!
So what if they do vote no? That won't mean a thing in bankruptcy hearings will it?
The thing that bothers me about diversity discussions, is that you must not be honest about your honest opinion.
Anon 8:54 You may well be on to something.
From McClatchy Watch
----------------------------
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sacramento Bee management warns: "mass layoffs" a possibility beginning in March
The company said all options are being considered, but that layoffs would occur in quantities to trigger a federal WARN Act notification by The Sacramento Bee – required when a company does mass layoffs.
----------------------------------
This makes me wonder if all the major MNI papers are in the process of doing the same thing.
If you look at the history of possible announcements that were later delayed, if gives strong credence that MNI papers are going to trigger a federal WARN Act across the properties. We keep hearing small snippets of comments from finance jobs being outsourced in Ft Worth, to Guild members forced to vote on a take it or else offer that will casue huge layoffs if not acepted, to entire production departments being decimated in Macon & Myrtle Beach , and possible triple digit losses in Kansas City.
Well here we are March 1 and its funny that the movie ‘Watchmen (out this Friday) with hints of the Apacylpse on the horizon, and daylight saving around the corner. We could be seeing the beginning of the end of MNI papers as we know it. The level of mistakes in the quality of the printed product will only grow larger due to the loss of employees.
And yet one can’t help but stare at the train as it gets closer jumping off the track.
How true about diversity. There are a big number of employees who just keep their mouths shut because of the shit they'd get from management for voicing an honest opinion about diversity. Truth be known, most think it's ridiculous and counter productive.
SING IT WITH ME...
“All we are saying, is give bankruptcy a chance”
The Man Who Would Own McClatchy?
by Jeff A. Taylor
Meet John Rogers. Arms of his Ariel Investments control 26 percent of all outstanding MNI stock.
Why? Rogers cannot possibly think that MNI will reverse course and move north. I have to think that Rogers plans on being at the table when MNI declares bankruptcy and/or is taken private.
Meanwhile, looks like the layoffs, pay cuts, and required furloughs are coming down the pike. Here’s what I don’t get, though. Would MNI operations in the Carolinas ever announce such steps — or just stonewall?
http://charlotte.johnlocke.org/blog/?p=3350
SING IT WITH ME...
“All we are saying, is give bankruptcy a chance”
-On race, blacks are cowards too-
St. Petersburg Times
by Bill Maxwell
3/1/2009
Attorney General Eric Holder is catching flak for saying...(snip) Holder, the first black to head the Justice Department, is absolutely right. Based on responses to his remarks, most people assume that the "cowards" Holder refers to are white Americans.(Snip)Holder should make a second speech on race, this time specifically taking blacks to task for keeping silent on the abandonment of their personal responsibilities.
Oh that will happen. (rolling eyes)
Two hurdles, one he would never do it.
Two, even if he did, MNI would never report it.
The Star Telegram is raising their single copy rates and that news was buried on page 6b today.
I know this isn't such gripping news as all the whining going on with no real purpose to it but it's just another symbol of Gary Wortel's reign as publisher. If he lived in the dark ages he'd be the guy with the black mask on at the guillotine.
coudlbeworseoff says:
"The Star Telegram is raising their single copy rates and that news was buried on page 6b today."
----
Also heard that a raise in price was forthcoming. Add this insult to the proposed talk of charging more for the TV book and other features currently included at no cost to the customer and you have another recipe for disaster courtesy of our own local Gary, Gary Wortel!
When the ST requires decisions requiring a total lack of direction, focus, and overall leadership, we don't have to wait for "Corp Gary" to screw things up, we just ask "Local Gary" to fire one off.
See other blog entry for some ""Great Gary" stuff of "Gary the Great" from Fort Worth.
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