Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wednesday March 18 -- Got news or a question?

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

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it that the Dallas Morning News is buying one of the Star-Telegrams Goss Towers. Want be long now the Fort Worth Morning News will be printed in Dallas. Mr Carter roll over in your grave its coming.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone canceled the subscription to their respective newspapers? I know I did, if they want to pay me less then I will not give them anymore of my hard earned money, with all the layoffs most of us have had to double or triple the workload and get paid less for it, I know it won't save me any real money or get back the pay reduction, it's more of making a point than anything

Anonymous said...

We have not yet, I use it for the dogs when they sleep in the garage at night, even though lately it has taken 2 days worth of paper to really do the job. It is still cheaper than the little blue pads at the pet store.

Anonymous said...

I never actually got a subscription to the newspaper that I'm working for until next Friday, since I could always get a free copy at work if I wanted it. I'd say I could read it for free online, but there's so many pop-ups and pop-unders I don't trust opening my own newspaper's site on my browser anymore!

Anonymous said...

Yes, I have canceled it twice in the past two weeks but they won't stop sending it. I just throw them back out in the street.

I'm thinking of buying one of those yard jockeys and naming him Lewwwis Duiguid. That way when Beady eyed Mike, (my registered sex offender carrier) hits him I can call in a hate crime.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute..our paper "requires" a subscription as a condition of employment....to be paid by payroll deduction.

Don't live in the delivery area, have delivered to a relative or friend OR donate to Newspapers in Schools program.

And by the way...that employee fee is 1/2 again more as much as the best special offered to the general public right now.

Different rules for diff papers?

Anonymous said...

Apparently. Subscription is not required here, either. I don't subscribe to our paper, either.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute..our paper "requires" a subscription as a condition of employment....to be paid by payroll deduction.



Just try and cancel it after they lay you off. It's reminiscent of AOL back in the day.

Anonymous said...

Anchorage! Why can't we get any information about the Anchorage Daily News? We ask our managers, they don't even know. Why can't McClatchy come forth with anything? It is horrible waiting to see if you still have a job next week! Maybe they should just fold and get it over with?

Anonymous said...

For the Star it is cheaper to get a subscription and a discount on parking than to not get the paper and pay full price on parking.

I throw everyone (bag and all unwrapped) into the recycle bin every day.

Anonymous said...

One of the worst parts of this whole thing is how much everyone apparently hates the places they work and the people they work for. Hopefully, we don't all hate the people we work with as well.

Don't all jump on me at once, but as much as I hate the way much of this has been handled, I'm not canceling my paper and I'm not hating the local managers. Canceling the paper -- or not even taking it in the first place -- doesn't prove anything except we've all given up. If that's the case, I feel sorry for all of us.

Anonymous said...

I'm not giving up, but my "postion was eliminated" at the S-T and I don't have a job and my family can't eat the newspaper.

Anonymous said...

I canceled the paper after I was laid off. BTW, the Sac Bee threw out freebies in my 'hood last Friday.

Anonymous said...

Anyone have word on what the people who had a choice between part time and a buyout have decided to do? (Besides Mike Hendricks)

Anonymous said...

I left the paper and so the employee payroll deduction stopped. They kept throwing the paper.

3 months later I called to see why and asked if they were giving it free now. Was told they stop payroll payments but not the sub.....that is up to the person. Duh...left hand, right hand, no logic! I did say "If you are not getting paid, do you always keep throwing the paper? Maybe that is why the newspaper industry has problems....."

Meanwhile the sub was still billing at the employee rate however. I paid the balance and told her to stop it.

The next day telemarketing called, asked me to renew, and I told him only if they gave me the paper at the bottomline price. They did....at 2/3 cost of what the employees were paying.

One more time.....screw the employees where you can!

To 7:00 am.......they finally stopped his paper for being not paid and sent him to a collection agency. Best to keep the name/date/name/cancellation number in your records.....and the name of the Circ VP so you can climb the latter when they try to wreck your credit rating!

Anonymous said...

Last paragraph in 8:30 am is the story about a KC laid off employee. He put the info in an older blog.........

Just FYI

Anonymous said...

To 7:26 a.m.:

That's the McClatchy Way. Don't tell anyone what's going on, blindside random employees regardless of skill or value, then don't tell whoever is left what is going on or how they're supposed to put out a newspaper. Oh yeah, and post memos that are full of lies about what's going on.

Repeat every three to six months.

Anonymous said...

Don't live in the delivery area, have delivered to a relative or friend OR donate to Newspapers in Schools program.

It is a violation of ABC regulations for employees to donate to Newspapers in Schools or Newspapers in Education Programs, because employers could pressure them into it to fund their revenue-generating programs.

Anonymous said...

a local blog will not be televised posted an item on John Eberhart's wife passing last fall. neither one of us have jobs at the paper any more, but i wouldn't trade shoes with John for anything.

Anonymous said...

One theory floating around the Anchorage Daily News newsroom is that they have been waiting for the Iditarod to finish (today) before they announce cuts. Plenty of resources dedicated to coverage (people who have been going above the call of duty to pull it all together), plus a junior reporter and photographer on the trail. Will be interesting to see who gets the ax.

Anonymous said...

My position was eliminated a while ago, and I don't hate most of the people I used to work with. I loved my job, and I very much liked most of the people I worked with.

Did management lie to me a few times? Yeah, I guess, but I don't know how much anyone knew all along the way. Could it have been handled better? Absolutely!

But I still have a subscription because I like getting a newspaper. I feel fortunate for having had a career I loved, unlike some of the people who seem to have been stuck at something they didn't like.

I'm still unemployed. I'm willing to do lots of things in an effort to re-invent myself, but I don't know if I'll ever find a job I liked as much. Hopefully, I can make some real cash this time, and maybe that will be a fair trade-off.

Anonymous said...

Out of Anchorage, the Iditarod is being covered by the most-junior sports reporter and the most-junior photographer - though both have worked at the paper for many years. So a theory is that once they return (they should be back tomorrow) the axe will fall, and that the cuts hadn't been announced because they didn't want to get rid of the guys while they were still out on the trail.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you just throw your paper back at the front entrance of the McClatchy paper that delivers to you. Every morning after they told me my job would be eliminated I drive by and toss my paper at the front entrance. Cancelled my subscription also.

Anonymous said...

I've read everything now. You guys have always been the most amazing bunch of whiners and complainers. But you don't even buy your own newspaper? You deserve to be laid off, get your pay cut, whatever. What a bunch of poor excuses for journalists you guys are.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand you thank this all about journalists. What about production? What you write would'nt be read if we didn't get it on the street. You have a deadline so do we. They extend your deadline, they don't production if we miss trucks for any reason we get our a** crewed out. Sometimes its because the budget is so thin we can't get parts. So step off your high horse its ain't just about You.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, 12:13. "Amazing bunch of whiners" says it alll.

I can't imagine not going out every morning and picking up my paper, delivered on time by our outstanding home delivery team, printed beautifully by our production team, and made visually compelling and interesting to read by our newsroom. And gosh -- not to mention I'M A CITIZEN OF A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY, a voter and someone who wants to be informed about issues that affect me and my town.

Life isn't fair. Shit happens. Get over it.

I still love my newspaper.

Anonymous said...

Thank you 12:38, I guess you don't work for McClatchy, so be thankfull

Anonymous said...

4 sacbee people laid off in photo.Class A sacbee Transportation driver (x SJM photographer)observed going in an out of photo studio with equipment and observed shooting pictures in studio. Transportation driver married to manager in newsroom (photo).I'll report back when I see a reporter with ladder and paint brush. Cross training?

Anonymous said...

Our publisher is always telling us that our paper "remains profitable." Do publishers at other McClatchy papers tell employees that?

Anonymous said...

Yes they do. Then the rube faithfully repeat it making themselves look like...well...Obamabots.

What's really funny is at places like the KC Star, Zieman used the term, "Wildly Profitable" All of a sudden you see pasted everywhere you read...We're wildly profitable.

The Star isn't a news business. It is a cattle factory that does sheep on the side.

Anonymous said...

It is not all about journalists, I am cancelling my subscription tomorrow and I work oops excuse me worked in production, I can't afford a paper now, sow lets figure this up 1600 jobs gone, maybe 1400 subscriptions way to go McSnatchy, get greedy get screwed, screw me I'll screw you. picking up 7 papers each Wednesday (Trash day) I won't miss.

Anonymous said...

six times 50 cents and 1.50 on sunday thats 4.50 a week, times about 1400 gives us 6,300 a week a week times 52 gives us 327,600 and thats just in staff subscriptions, how many jobs would that save.

Anonymous said...

six times 50 cents and 1.50 on sunday thats 4.50 a week, times about 1400 gives us 6,300 a week a week times 52 gives us 327,600 and thats just in staff subscriptions, how many jobs would that save.