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.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Afternoon thread
It's an All Skate... what's on your mind? . . .
14 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The federal government made its declaration this week about eligibility for the 9-month COBRA subsidy for people who take voluntary separation pages. VOLUNTARIES ARE ELIGIBLE when their departure is part of a forced workplace reduction. Great news for lotsa folks back through September of 08.
-Contrary to Rumor: McClatchy Not Dismantling D.C. Bureau-
By E&P Staff
Washington chief John Walcott writes, “We're aren't backing away from aggressive, on-the-ground, "truth to power" reporting on national stories or in our overseas bureaus, either.” http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ -------- Talk about a colossal waste of money. MNI is not serious about saving the company. One could only hope these biased fools were put out to pasture first. KR leftovers!
Public trust in media dropped, but historical data shows that this trend is erratic. Interestingly, a vast majority of Americans (70%) believe the media favored Barack Obama in the most recent election. Even a majority of Democrats believe that.
Demotix is a new kind of citizen journalism site that acts as an intermediary for photojournalists. Its media clients can select images from the site’s feed and Demotix splits the revenue 50:50 with the photographer.
Contrary to Rumor: McClatchy Not Dismantling D.C. Bureau
By E&P Staff
Published: April 03, 2009 3:00 PM ET
NEW YORK Rumors have held this week that McClatchy may be severely downsizing or shuttering its much-respected Washington, D.C. bureau. But in a memo today from Washington chief John Walcott to McClatchy editors, he denies this while toasting two reports who are leaving the bureau.
Walcott writes, "You may have heard or read rumors and gossip that the McClatchy Washington Bureau is going the way of too many other Washington bureaus, that regional reporting is dead, or that only a few big national publications are still covering national and foreign news.
"Sorry bloggers, rumor-mongers and competitors, but none of that is true."
TOTUS is pissed, Scary Barry took 12 teleprompters on his ‘Obama-rama’ vacation, and TOTUS was packed in the hold with the great unwashed, which is nuanced for, Barry’s wannabe soaring speech machines.
I've been following the Cobra ARRA extension situation. The Department of Labor clarification on who qualifies is as clear as mud. It is very complicated. People who took the buy out may not be eligible.
Some who took the buyout took a 12 month Cobra in exchange for less severance.
McClatchy might be "generous" so to get the tax benefits of the extension and also avoid employee backlash.
The AP is the worst for the headlines not matching the story. If I see an article from them, I don’t even bother to read it. The news will be distorted with opinion, if there is even a grain of truth in the article in the first place. I think they need to go the way of the dinosaur as well. Papers consolidating news units is probably cutting them out of the deal a few times. Good riddance!
The AP is the worst for the headlines not matching the story.
That is the problem with the AP. You never know where the headline has been applied or what has been added or omitted from the story.
The worst example I have seen lately was the story about Iowa finding their same sex marriage law unconstitutional.
The headline read, Iowa Court Legalizes Same Sex Marriage. This of course is a bald faced lie that even an elementary government class could identify. Was it the AP that applied the falsified headline or did another paper do it? There isn't really anyway to know, but, that not knowing places the blame evenly across the profession. (if you still choose to call it that)
According to HR at the Kansas City Star, they were told by Zenith (Cobra administrator) that a person who volunteers to leave can get the government 65% for nine months. There is also a question about allowing for insurance step down because your Cobra is based on whatever policy you carried at the time of layoff. According to a letter in the KC Star written by Janet Trautwein of National Association of Health Underwriters "the stimulus package also allows people to switch to a less expensive employer-sponsored plan" The catch is this is strictly up to McClatchy. So far we have not received an answer from HR on this. I know this would make Cobra more affordable for many. Contact your HR and see what they say.
Is this thread still active? Regarding switching to a less expensive plan. Just a word of experience from someone who went into the "Routine" plan and then had something not routine happen this year involving lots of diagnostics and a surgical procedure. All this cost about 4x more than the premiums in the Choice plan would have all year. If they let you go from Select to Choice, do it, but I'd caution agains the Routine unless you are really young & healthy.
Speaking of COBRA...When my McClatchy subsidy ran out in Jan. my premium went up to $1,300 a month! Needless to say my family and I have no insurance now. COBRA is a joke. Hey Barry...Where's the change?
Anon 7:47 if your termination date was Sept or after and you got laid off I think that somehow they are going to catch up with you for the subsidy and maybe even a credit or refund. God knows how the feds and MLatchy are going to administer it but I'm pretty sure the subsidy thing will reach back to you retroactively. Good luck. No insurance is a scary place for a family to be.
14 comments:
The federal government made its declaration this week about eligibility for the 9-month COBRA subsidy for people who take voluntary separation pages. VOLUNTARIES ARE ELIGIBLE when their departure is part of a forced workplace reduction. Great news for lotsa folks back through September of 08.
I am glad to read this news. Thanks much.
-Contrary to Rumor: McClatchy Not Dismantling D.C. Bureau-
By E&P Staff
Washington chief John Walcott writes,
“We're aren't backing away from aggressive, on-the-ground, "truth to power" reporting on national stories or in our overseas bureaus, either.”
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/
--------
Talk about a colossal waste of money. MNI is not serious about saving the company. One could only hope these biased fools were put out to pasture first.
KR leftovers!
Dour Pew Report
Public trust in media dropped, but historical data shows that this trend is erratic. Interestingly, a vast majority of Americans (70%) believe the media favored Barack Obama in the most recent election. Even a majority of Democrats believe that.
Equal Pay for Equal Journalism
By paulgillin
Demotix is a new kind of citizen journalism site that acts as an intermediary for photojournalists. Its media clients can select images from the site’s feed and Demotix splits the revenue 50:50 with the photographer.
Contrary to Rumor: McClatchy Not Dismantling D.C. Bureau
By E&P Staff
Published: April 03, 2009 3:00 PM ET
NEW YORK Rumors have held this week that McClatchy may be severely downsizing or shuttering its much-respected Washington, D.C. bureau. But in a memo today from Washington chief John Walcott to McClatchy editors, he denies this while toasting two reports who are leaving the bureau.
Walcott writes, "You may have heard or read rumors and gossip that the McClatchy Washington Bureau is going the way of too many other Washington bureaus, that regional reporting is dead, or that only a few big national publications are still covering national and foreign news.
"Sorry bloggers, rumor-mongers and competitors, but none of that is true."
TOTUS is pissed, Scary Barry took 12 teleprompters on his
‘Obama-rama’ vacation, and TOTUS was packed in the hold with the great unwashed, which is nuanced for, Barry’s wannabe soaring speech machines.
I've been following the Cobra ARRA extension situation. The Department of Labor clarification on who qualifies is as clear as mud. It is very complicated. People who took the buy out may not be eligible.
Some who took the buyout took a 12 month Cobra in exchange for less severance.
McClatchy might be "generous" so to get the tax benefits of the extension and also avoid employee backlash.
WE shall soon find out.
Others who are in the process should post up.
The AP is the worst for the headlines not matching the story. If I see an article from them, I don’t even bother to read it. The news will be distorted with opinion, if there is even a grain of truth in the article in the first place. I think they need to go the way of the dinosaur as well. Papers consolidating news units is probably cutting them out of the deal a few times. Good riddance!
The AP is the worst for the headlines not matching the story.
That is the problem with the AP. You never know where the headline has been applied or what has been added or omitted from the story.
The worst example I have seen lately was the story about Iowa finding their same sex marriage law unconstitutional.
The headline read, Iowa Court Legalizes Same Sex Marriage. This of course is a bald faced lie that even an elementary government class could identify. Was it the AP that applied the falsified headline or did another paper do it? There isn't really anyway to know, but, that not knowing places the blame evenly across the profession. (if you still choose to call it that)
According to HR at the Kansas City Star, they were told by Zenith (Cobra administrator) that a person who volunteers to leave can get the government 65% for nine months. There is also a question about allowing for insurance step down because your Cobra is based on whatever policy you carried at the time of layoff. According to a letter in the KC Star written by Janet Trautwein of National Association of Health Underwriters "the stimulus package also allows people to switch to a less expensive employer-sponsored plan" The catch is this is strictly up to McClatchy. So far we have not received an answer from HR on this. I know this would make Cobra more affordable for many. Contact your HR and see what they say.
Is this thread still active? Regarding switching to a less expensive plan. Just a word of experience from someone who went into the "Routine" plan and then had something not routine happen this year involving lots of diagnostics and a surgical procedure. All this cost about 4x more than the premiums in the Choice plan would have all year. If they let you go from Select to Choice, do it, but I'd caution agains the Routine unless you are really young & healthy.
Speaking of COBRA...When my McClatchy subsidy ran out in Jan. my premium went up to $1,300 a month! Needless to say my family and I have no insurance now. COBRA is a joke. Hey Barry...Where's the change?
Anon 7:47 if your termination date was Sept or after and you got laid off I think that somehow they are going to catch up with you for the subsidy and maybe even a credit or refund. God knows how the feds and MLatchy are going to administer it but I'm pretty sure the subsidy thing will reach back to you retroactively. Good luck. No insurance is a scary place for a family to be.
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