Save the pencils!

Cleveland Scene ^ | December 7, 2005 | Staff

[baystaterebel]

The Akron Beacon Journal, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning paper now operating as a 'zine for the geriatric set, is getting squeezed to comedic proportions by San Jose's Knight Ridder, its parent company.

Knight Ridder is under a dual assault by investors, who are demanding 30 percent profit margins, and the company's own leadership, namely CEO Tony Ridder, the heir-in-charge who's proved strikingly adept at running Knight Ridder into the ground.

Executives recently asked employees to share pens and notepads with other departments, since no more office supplies will be purchased this year. The problem is that some departments have already run dry, including the photo department, which ran out of batteries and paper. "They did make an exception and ordered the photographers new batteries," says reporter Paula Schleis.

"It's been a tough year," concedes managing editor Mike Burbach. "The budget has been very tight and we're saving where we can, but I don't think it's gotten to the point where reporters are without pens and notepads. At least I certainly hope not."

Plain Dealer reporters were prepared to launch an emergency relief effort by shipping office supplies to Akron, but they were told not to bother. "Frankly, with all this talk about the Knight Ridder sale, we don't want them wasting their goodwill on notebooks," Schleis says. "We'd rather they wait and use it to help the people who are going to lose their jobs."

In the meantime, if the Beacon is soon printed on piles of stolen bar napkins, you'll know why.

[baystaterebel]

Second item. Found it at Poynter.

Let me be the first to say................

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Knicht Ridder!

Couldnt happen to a better company.

[speedy]

I don't know why Knight-Ridder reporters need notepads anyway. They just make it up as they go along. Hope the supply shortage is hitting one of K-R's big boys, the Philadelphia Inquirer.

[msnimje]

Good Riddance to Notched Ridder

[fat city]

The Beacon Journal is actually a pretty good rag- and way better than the PD. Watch for the PD to buy out the BJ's "subscription list" like they did to the now defunct Cleveland Press. The Scene, on the other hand, is a POS, given out free in bars.