NewsTechZilla » Layoffs

Journalists’ Typewriters Go Silent

Trace Sharp — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:54:16 +0000

Photo By Adam Tinworth

Journalists continue to be laid off in Tennessee this week as The Tennessean eliminated roughly 30 positions on July 9th which ranges from those reporting on the street to account execs to press operators.

It’s not a new story. It’s happening to many of us and it will continue to. The big question that comes to mind, as I’m living it as well, is where are we going to go.

In an article from last December, Eric Deggans asked a very good question. Where are the middle-class journalists going to go?

Now, I see a media industry where some of the most talented, experienced and middle-class writers are being cut loose from the operation. Much as you want to avoid hyperbole and overreaction, it feels like another turn toward the online economic model — where mostly owners and big managers are paid decent wages, and costs are kept low by keeping a tight lid on wages for most workers.

Many of us have tried to evolve and remain relevant with new technology, but there are other issues that must be addressed.

One major thing is with so many media organizations, many times bloggers are filling in the gaps with free content. From an economic perspective, it’s smart business. Don’t get me wrong, it’s just a sign of the times but it does create a gap for unemployed journalists seeking employment.

The jobs just aren’t there.

I’ve spoken to several folks who have been downsized. Many of us are attempting to think outside the box on where we fit in. Blogs are not generating a livable wage unless there is a sound business model with access to businesses that will advertise and there has to be some semblance of a traditional advertising plan.

The online market is filled with blogs, but you will find that most of them, unless established or part of a larger organizations, are not making money.

Of course, editors and publishers have made some significant mistakes in print journalism by focusing on everything but the kitchen sink except covering investigative/breaking news. Journalists, especially in smaller papers, work on sections designed to specifically sell car ads, holiday promotions and the list goes on ad nauseum. What wasn’t recognized is that maybe readers picked up on that people were spread thin. Advertisers tired of special promotions. I’m sure there is more, but the key came down to that although the industry talked about this for years, many organizations didn’t not make revisions it was too late. Other thrived, such as Knox News, that realized they had to build their online presence and have received national attention for creating a viable product while balancing with its print product.

All this analysis doesn’t change the fact that journalists downsized over the past few years will have to make adjustments due to the lack of options and that some media organizations are going to go outside the paid structure for free, quality product.

I think we will see in the coming months that journalists will end up taking jobs out of their chosen profession. Not out of choice, but out of necessity.

But with desperate times, our society usually sees new and fresh ideas coming out of adversity. I think journalists will find a new path, it’s just going to take time.Similar Posts:

Spread the word:

Preparing For Life After Newspapers

Trace Sharp — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:37:51 +0000

I’m one of the lucky ones because I still have a job. So many journalists right now have been laid off, furloughed, bought out or are sitting on the cusp that it’s hard to keep up with the magnitude of it all. When this is your chosen profession, for some of us, it’s like waiting on the other shoe to drop.

And, unfortunately, it can take an emotional toll.

For people in management, especially those like myself who wavers in the middle area where you have people below you and then owners/publishers above you, the best thing I can tell you is that when that wave hits of “Oh no, more layoffs” and wondering if you are on the list, it’s honestly hard to keep focused.

I’ve been thinking about the best way for those of us who keep waiting, where there will be no buyouts (with just a trip to the unemployment line) and I’ve attempted to compile a list of common sense ideas to maintain our sanity. Believe me, so much of what we are doing is hit or miss and I’m the first to admit I’ve made some mighty mistakes along the way but I’ve had a few good ideas. If you work in news anyway, that may be a questionable statement, but here are a few ideas:

FOCUS ON WRITING THE NEWS: If you are reporter, challenge yourself to just keep your head in writing news. It’s overwhelming to think about all that’s going on in the big offices that are making decisions about your future, but keep going after the next big story.
START LEARNING NEW TECHNOLOGY: I’m constantly trying to learn new technology and sometimes it is daunting. Find what you are good with and consistently work toward building your brand, which is you, online. Also start networking with other people you find to be interesting and that you might want to talk to in the future. Remember, no one is going to do this for you. I have learned to that there are times I’m going to have to ask for help as I’m not 100 percent what I’m doing.
YOUR GREATEST STRENGTHS MAY ALSO BE YOU GREATEST WEAKNESSES: This is a tough one, I know. What are you good at? At the smaller paper I work at, we layout, we write stories, we handle customers, we don’t have a beat. If you don’t have the luxury of being just one kind of writer/reporter, find out what you do the best. My best assets are crime news, features, networking with community leaders and editorials. I’m not as good at copy editing. The same goes with what you may be looking at online. What is your strengths as you delve into the online world. Do you blog well? Are you more of an analyst than a story teller. Are you more comfortable on a social network?
IF YOU GET FIRED, WHAT’S YOUR NEXT MOVE?: Are you ready for that shoe to drop. Many of us will not get a buyout so what will you do next? Have you put any thought into it?
DON’T DWELL ON WHAT YOU CAN’T FIX: The bottom line is that it’s the economy for most of us. Don’t lose yourself in a wave of emotional turmoil, although that’s easier to say than it is to actually put into practice. It’s is extremely difficult to think that you might be losing your job, and most people I know have a passion for what there chosen career and could be making money doing something else, quite frankly. Don’t let your passion for your craft dissipate because of the situation at hand. The best thing may to focus on is how you are moving to the next level. Determine what that next level is.

These are just a few things. Mark Potts at the Recovering Journalist has one of the best lists I’ve even read about Life After Journalism and is a must read.

The bottom line is that those of us who are left are fortunate to have a job, but there is also the reality that we haven’t seen what’s next. To say there isn’t a level of fear of the unknown would be disingenuous. These are turbulent times for those of us who have had to take on more responsibilities with the addition of knowing that more layoffs are coming.

Are you ready?

Photo credit

Similar Posts:

Spread the word:

Life After Layoff

Trace Sharp — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:43:21 +0000

Jeff Jarvis points us to the story of laid-off journalist Greg Hernandez. Within a week after this layoff as a Hollywood Writer for the LA Daily News, he took his entertainment writing to a new blog and is directly competing with his former employer.

Jarvis gives some sound advice. Find your niche and run with it.

Note well, other formerly employed journalists, that you don’t need friends in high places in the internet to build your own blog. You can go to WordPress or Typepad or Blogger and start writing and Google or GoDaddy to take your domain. My only advice is to specialize: take on a beat that isn’t being overcovered, do a lot of linking, rise up in Googlejuice, and make the turf your own.

Within seven days, Greg reinvented himself. That’s pretty cool.Similar Posts:

Spread the word:

From The Newsroom To The Strip Club

Trace Sharp — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:19:26 +0000

Some journalists are taking new avenues toward success after their buyouts.

Case in point Michael Precker, formerly of the Dallas Morning News:

For Michael Precker, that loss of status wasn’t as grim as the fear of it. A veteran foreign correspondent and editor for the Dallas Morning News, Mr. Precker took a buyout in 2006 and now manages a high-end strip club. “I really wondered how it would feel to sever that link — Michael Precker of the Dallas Morning News,” he says. “But it has been easier than I thought. I feel lucky.” Likewise, Mr. Wenske is working happily as a senior community-affairs adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

To disassociate identity from professional status, therapists recommend taking pride in characteristics that can’t be stripped away — virtue, integrity, honesty, generosity. They also recommend investing more time and pride in relationships with family, friends and community. Of course, obsessive attention to work can breed success. But therapists say that adding some balance tends to help rather than hurt performance, in part by reducing pressure.

Many of us have pondered what we will do next if our jobs play out and we are laid off. Have you thought about your next step? Precker said it wasn’t hard for him to do.

If it keeps the dogs in kibble, you do what you have to. And Precker has no qualms that he’s successful in his new venue and he’s enjoying it.

Lots of food for thought, isn’t it?

H/T Poynter

Similar Posts:

Spread the word:

Paper Cuts

Trace Sharp — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:54:51 +0000

Want to see an interactive map tracking newspaper layoffs around the country?

Sure you do.Similar Posts:

Spread the word:

More On The Gannett Furlough

Trace Sharp — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:11:08 +0000

From former Tennessean columnist Tim Chavez on the Gannett layoffs.

You’ve got to give Gannett some credit for this action, which it says is in lieu of layoffs. Of all the newspaper companies, Gannett was the last to lay off people. Yet, staffing levels at most Gannett newspapers were lowest for most of the industry.

Still, to offset the severity of the furloughs on households, Gannett will allow employees to spread out the five days. That is good and humane. I hope the company can avoid further layoffs. The furlough is much preferable to losing one’s job.

Chavez is a great read when it comes to an insider’s view of what goes on at a major newspaper. He’s no longer at the Tennessean and now you can see his commentary at his personal blog, Political Salsa.Similar Posts:

Spread the word:

No Longer On The Masthead

Trace Sharp — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:18:10 +0000

This one hurts. If it doesn’t get you, you might be dead inside.

From the wonderful blog Somewhere On The Masthead.

I bring my story proposals with me, stepping into the cool, dim room and sitting down opposite the Chief. But something isn’t quite right: My supervisor, the executive editor, who always sits in on pitch meetings, is strangely absent. So is my department’s graphic designer. Instead, sitting opposite me at the conference table is a big bear of a man, someone I’ve never met before. He sticks out a meaty hand and introduces himself.

“I’m from Human Resources,” he says, a statement I find odd. I know everyone in our HR department. Then I look at the Chief, and catch the odd, guilty glint in her eyes, as she holds my gaze for a second, then breaks eye contact.

Oh, you have GOT to be kidding… I think.

“MM,” she begins, “this is really hard for me…”

But of course, what she has to say next is hardest for no one so much as me.

She uses phrases like, “The company is having to make several hard decisions today,” and “Everyone, even us at the Really Big Magazine, are being asked to make reductions,” and “I think you know what I have to tell you.”

Read the rest. This is what’s going on in this world right now.

H/T Ginger

Similar Posts:

Spread the word:

NYT’s Room For Debate Is Open

Trace Sharp — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:57:26 +0000

If you want to talk about recent layoffs, this just might be the place to go and express yourself.

The economy lost 524,000 jobs in December, raising the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent. More than 10 million Americans are now unemployed. Many more millions of Americans worry about their own job security. These anxieties are transforming the workplace. Employees may be working harder, experts say, but they may also be less productive. What is the toll on individual workers and on the economy as a whole? Our Room for Debate panelists try to answer the question. We hope readers will share their own stories and observations.

Follow them here.Similar Posts:

Spread the word: