(Sacremento) Bee offers buyouts to majority of full-time workers (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Sacremento Bee ^ | August 25, 2008 | Dale Kasler

[abb]

The Bee offered voluntary buyouts to the majority of its full-time employees today and hinted that another round of layoffs is possible as well.

The buyouts represent the latest round of cost cutting at The Bee, which is facing a big slump in advertising revenue. Two months ago the newspaper eliminated 86 jobs as part of an across-the-board layoff ordered by its parent, The McClatchy Co. of Sacramento. McClatchy imposed a companywide wage freeze two weeks ago.

But Bee executives said today they needed to make more cuts. The economic downturn has deepened and The Bee, like the rest of the newspaper industry, continues to struggle with the migration of business to the Internet and other media.

"It's about continually looking at your work force and looking at your economic projections and trying to bring those in line," Bee Publisher and President Cheryl Dell said. "We thought that we had that two months ago, but with the worsening economy, we just need to do more."

She added that bankruptcies of several advertisers, including Room Source, Linens N Things and Mervyns, has contributed to the uncertainty.

Dell said another round of layoffs is possible if there aren't enough voluntary buyouts. But she said it was "premature to establish a target or quota" for the buyouts. The buyouts were offered to 55 percent of the paper's full-time employees and a smaller number of part-timers, she said. About 44 percent of all employees are being offered buyouts.

The buyout program was announced just a few weeks after The Bee unveiled a redesigned, smaller format for its printed paper, another move largely aimed at cutting costs.

snip

[abb]

BEE GONE!!

[abb]

ping

[abb]

http://poynter.org/forum/view_post.asp?id=13562
Sacramento Bee buyouts memo

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/robert_rivard/Amid_the_echo_of_bad_news_a_few_words_of_optimism.html
Amid the echo of bad news, a few words of optimism

http://www.cleveland.com/readers/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1219480442114810.xml&coll=2
News on the Web is built on a firm paper foundation - Ted Diadiun

http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/
Reports: Asbury Park Press laying off 120 drivers

[MovementConservative]

Not good enough. They are still cutting meat. I want bone. I want entire limbs lopped off until the whole thing is gone. Begone SacBee!

[Parley Baer]

“voluntary buyouts to the majority of its full-time employees”

I think the term Bee Gone is appropriate. Hehehehe.

[abb]

[SkyDancer]

The print media never saw it coming ... too complacent and too arrogant ...

[TexasNative2000]

(Sacremento) Bee offers buyouts to majority of full-time workers

They didn't offer buyouts to their minority full-time workers?

Racists.

/s

[martin_fierro]

The Bee offered voluntary buyouts to the majority of its full-time employees today

How much were the buyouts worth?

NONE OF YOUR SACRAMENTO BEESWAX!

[abb]

[Allegra]

Awwww.....this just breaks my heart. :-D

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Within hours of 9/11/2001 the best and brightest Bee brains opined that the attacks were partly our fault (cannot remember if they used the word "attacks" it was probably more like the "events"). You see we just don't try to "understand" the rest of world, 9/11 was their message to us.

Just a few weeks after that the publisher of the Bee, Ms Janis Heaphy, was booed off the stage at a local university as she condemned the Bush administration for being "mean" to suspected terrorists.

The Bee employees decried the ignorance of those in the audience.

Bee employees joined CAIR to get a local talk show host to cancel an interview with Daniel Pipes, according to the talk show host.

A Bee slogan on their trucks said, "A continuing education."

Next time, concentrate on the news! Leave the propaganda to the Rat Party (formerly the traditional, patriotic Democratic Party).

[abb]

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2008/08/25/inquirer-daily-news-to-shed-more-staff/
Inquirer, Daily News to Shed More Staff

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2008/08/denver_post_tries_to_squelch_s.php
Denver Post tries to squelch shut-down rumors in memo that says the Rocky would close first

http://www.kansascity.com/382/story/765191.html
Star offers buyouts to most employees

http://www.kansas.com/business/updates/story/505922.html
Eagle offers voluntary buyouts to all employees

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=123&aid=148988
Newspaper Company Dividends — R.I.P?

[LomanBill]

>>(Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

>>BEE GONE

 

I think we should be carefull what we ask for....

 

I don't see much hard reporting being done in the Blog-O-sphere.

 

 

[abb]

http://www.cpnonline.com/cpn/content_display/regions/midwest/chicago/e3i67f2ad037eba0dd6769bcf6028ca94db
Zell: Is the Grave Dancer Finally in Grave Trouble?

http://www.dailycal.org/article/102298/editor_s_note
Editor’s Note
By Bryan Thomas

Sunday, August 24, 2008 | 9:37 pm

The Daily Californian is in a difficult financial condition, and with the beginning of our fall production cycle this week, we are implementing a number of changes that impact the community and campus we serve.

In short, beginning next week the Daily Cal will no longer be publishing a Wednesday edition of the newspaper, though we will maintain a full online edition. We will also be scaling back the size of our staff and reducing compensation.

[Grampa Dave]

"Within hours of 9/11/2001 the best and brightest Bee brains opined that the attacks were partly our fault (cannot remember if they used the word "attacks" it was probably more like the "events"). You see we just don't try to "understand" the rest of world, 9/11 was their message to us."

Just a few weeks after that the publisher of the Bee, Ms Janis Heaphy, was booed off the stage at a local university as she condemned the Bush administration for being "mean" to suspected terrorists. The Bee employees decried the ignorance of those in the audience."

"Bee employees joined CAIR to get a local talk show host to cancel an interview with Daniel Pipes, according to the talk show host. " -----------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for posting the love of the Islamofascists versus slaughtered innocent Americans on 9/11.

For Decades before, the Bee tried to defeat Prop 13 and many of their editors and political op ed writers like Dan Walters blame Prop 13 for everything they don't blame President Bush for.

The Bee has supported every green Whacko and anti American whacko for decades.

Good bye to a miserable group of anti American mediots.

[Grampa Dave]

“I think we should be carefull what we ask for....

I don’t see much hard reporting being done in the Blog-O-sphere.”

No problem, in the over 3 decades of personal monitoring of the Bees, I have never noted any real reporting.

They push the liberal agendas 24/7/365.

[LomanBill]

>>They push the liberal agendas 24/7/365.

Wouldn’t doubt it; but I think I’d rather see the enemy in plain view - rather than hidden among millions of balkanizing, dis/mis informational web pages.

[LomanBill]

I also observe that, as much as we like to poke fun of the MSM here on FR, the FR model depends primarily upon the MSM’s articles to drive its discussion threads.

So really, the “Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™”is also the FR DeathWatch.

[SierraWasp]

I won't even grace thier A$$E$ with a "good" bye!!!

As far as I'm concerned it's: Sayanara you suckers!!! You've sucked off Sacramento and "Superior CA" long enough!!!

I don't hate 'em, but I dislike 'em with EXTREME PREJUDICE!!!

[Jim Robinson]

It’s all a commie plot.

[TruthWillWin]

Sacremento....LOL.

I used to call it Sacratomato because of the crops grown in the area (and other reasons).

[LomanBill]

>>It’s all a commie plot.

 

Collectivist plot would probably be more accurate.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

It's even worse. Two or three years ago an editorial on their web site confirmed their comments about 9/11 (I had already stopped buying the Bee). I think one associate editor disagreed but all others agreed with the original opinion. I have not been back to their web site since.

I will read Bee articles, in part or whole, that are posted elsewhere.

[Jim Robinson]

All the same to me.

[LomanBill]

>>All the same to me.

Communism and Corporatism are both forms of Collectivism.

The word corporate, after all, merely refers to a group of individuals, acting collectively as a single body.

Both forms of collectivism, Corporate and Communist alike, demand the worship and servitude of members of the collective - and neither tolerate the exercise of discourse, when that discourse is critical of the collective.

Without Free Discourse, can there be a Free Republic?

The 1st amendment was 1st for a reason.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: "the “Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™”is also the FR DeathWatch."

I too have commented on how important the MSM are to us and for getting information "out there." I am sure few see nor want an end to the MSM -- instead we welcome the return of "the way is was."

I remember the days before TV. It was a time where every city had two or more newspapers representing views across the political spectrum.

[Jim Robinson]

Sheesh. Go away.

[LomanBill]

>>instead we welcome the return of “the way is was.”

A Free Press, free of political and corporate strings?

You’d have to eliminate the dependency on funding via advertising.

[abb]

http://www.tellzell.com/2008/08/lees-loves-his-ideas.html
Lee’s Loves His Ideas

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003842157
Case Study: ‘Times Union’ May Cut 28 Pages Each Week

[abb]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003842208
Indy Guild Claims Layoffs Wrongly Ignored Seniority

[WilliamofCarmichael]

No not a "free" press vis-a-vis free of influence. On the contrary have at all the influence that the market will bear.

It's the freedom to have alternate sources of news and opinion to the extent that the market will support.

I lived through the "Fairness Doctrine." The market for modern talk radio was there as has been proved since President Reagan did away with the "Fairness Doctrine" in 1987. We couldn't have it because station owners feared losing their licenses.

All that's lacking -- and the thing that will help the MSM the most -- is for them to just admit that they are as biased for the left as the new media are biased for the right.

Returning to those days is what I am talking about.

[sergeantdave]

“Communism and Corporatism are both forms of Collectivism.

The word corporate, after all, merely refers to a group of individuals, acting collectively as a single body.”

So would a member of the 1st Marine Division be a corporatist or communist?

How about the Founding Fathers - a gang of collectivists?

[bert]

How about.....

To Bee, or not to Bee.....that is the question?

[LomanBill]

[The market for modern talk radio was there as has been proved since President Reagan did away with the "Fairness Doctrine" in 1987.]

 

The talk radio market was there before 1987.  I used to listen to Allen Berg in Denver before The Order murdered him in his driveway.  Saw the evidence bag containing his blood-stained leather jacket with my own eyes.

 

Berg was always controversial - yet he was on the air, until silenced by bullets fired from an inarticulate coward's machine gun.

 

I never considered him to be either liberal or conservative - left or right.   To me he was just an individual, an American - and I admired his articulate tenacity, regardless of whether I agreed with him or not.

[LomanBill]

[So would a member of the 1st Marine Division be a corporatist or communist?

How about the Founding Fathers - a gang of collectivists?]

 

I believe the Founding Fathers were first and foremost, individualists. 

 

They were individuals who acted collectively towards the realization of the commonly held belief, articulated in the American Declaration of Independence, that the function of Government is to secure the inalienable rights of the governed individual.

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

--The American Declaration of Independence.

 

The collective, the Government, must remember its purpose - TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS.

 

I have no reason to believe a member of the 1st Marine Division would intend to do otherwise; and I hold nothing but the highest esteem for the Marines, and others, who "gave the last full measure of devotion" in the belief that they were securing a legacy of freedom for their fellow human beings.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Yes, talk radio was there but not as it is known today and I have been a fan of radio since the early 1940s.

Joe Pyne was close to today's modern conservative talk -- but he was driven from the air after the JFK assassination; and there were exceptions at a few local stations as you noted.

I lived in Cincinnati and in the 1950s and 1960s there were some really good local "talk" radio. Jerry Thomas and Richard King were two. They were entertaining. There was not the freewheeling politics of today however.

Surely you know of the "Fairness Doctrine" and it's impact upon the free expression of ideas. It was a weapon that liberals used against the modern conservative movement.

See Here "You might also think that they would recall the notorious Fairness Doctrine, which was used to 'harass and intimidate' right-wing radio broadcasts, in the words of one unabashed Kennedy-Johnson operative. When that censorious policy was ended in 1987 by former broadcaster Ronald Reagan, there was an explosion of talk formats that gave voice to popular concerns (for a while, Rush Limbaugh even billed himself as equal time)."

In the early days of modern talk radio (late '80s and early '90s) one of the most oft-heard caller comment was "I didn't know others believed as I do!"

We need the MSM even if they won't admit bias but we damn well need the new media also.

Free speech must be defended as it has always been defended against those who would end it, with blood. Their blood, our free speech.

They caught us unaware with the first "Fairness Doctrine" but never again!

Larry King was king of talk radio. I don't remember the span of years. I do remember this, a caller expressed opposition to increased federal taxes. King responded, "Don't you love your country?" I suspect that the man you mentioned generally agreed with King.

That kind of talk went unopposed in all media as liberals argued that one hour a week of William F. Buckley's Firing Line on PBS was all the fairness the conservatives needed.

[LomanBill]

>>I suspect that the man you mentioned generally agreed with King.

 

It was 1982 when I was listening to Mr. Berg, and I don't recall his specific views or positions; but my general recollection is that he was liberal.

 

This is what one of the folks convicted of killing him had to say:

"The only thing I have to say about Alan Berg is: regardless of who did it, he has not mouthed his hate-whitey propaganda from his 50,000-watt Zionist pulpit for quite a few years."

It's curious that Lane would refer to KOA, the radio station Berg worked at, as being a 50,000-watt Zionist pulpit.

 

IIRC, KOA was owned at the time by General Electric.  Today KOA is owned by Clear Channel.

 

Would the Fairness Doctrine have been a factor in Berg's employment at GE?  (That's an honest question, not a rhetorical one)

 

 

In any event, from what you describe, it seems the Fairness Doctrine was intended, not to ensure the truth was being broadcasted - but rather to facilitate the division of the sheeple by constructing a polar dialectic with the Right arranged in opposition against the Left.

 

Seems to me these days, that neither side is operating consistently with the intended function of government that was, as declared by the founders - TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS.

 

 

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: "Would the Fairness Doctrine have been a factor in Berg's employment at GE?"

The short answer is no.

Here's why. He was a liberal, you are right about that. Conservatives generally did not complain about fairness -- as best I can remember and research. So, no complaints no problem.

But what you are doing is inserting a tragic, horrible crime into the argument. The killers were known extremists. You quote them. Do they sound like Rush, Mark Levin, Hannity, any Republican that you know? Any conservative that you know? They're criminals.

Back to the normal day-to-day discourse -- or at least what passes for discourse.

The FCC maintains a log of complaints against a user of the public airwaves. That at least was how it worked. If you read the article I referenced you will have at least seen that some believe that they can document that liberals routinely sent shills to "complain" about fairness at a radio station. The Fairness Doctrine was made into a weapon.

Too many complaints and the radio station owner cannot get his license renewed.

What to do? The owner can permit each and every complainer time on the air and thus make things "fair" or he can drop talk radio and go to AM Top 40 or some safe boring radio.

RE: Fairness Doctrine was intended, not to ensure the truth was being broadcasted - but rather to facilitate the division of the sheeple by constructing a polar dialectic with the Right arranged in opposition against the Left.

Yes, the Right arranged in opposition against the Left. It's how our system works.

It is not the business of government to arrange for the broadcasting of truth. We argue about what is truth. That's our responsibility.

It comes naturally. It's how our system works. It is why we don't have revolutions. We argue it out. We shout at each other. We debate. We are divisive. It's how our system works.

It's not securing rights when the government dictates "truth" and 'fairness."

What is fair? I think the experience of Air America was fair. It flopped. Why? Because our rights ARE secure. We chose not to listen. The Fairness Doctrine would deny us our rights to listen to what we want.

BTW, by the 1980s the courts were ruling that with so many ways to get information passed around there was no longer the need for a "Fairness Doctrine."

[LomanBill]

[But what you are doing is inserting a tragic, horrible crime into the argument.]

 

The Berg case just sticks in my mind as an example of what tyrants will do to silence free expression when they are empowered to do so.

 

I brought it up because I think it's relevant to the discussion.

 

[Do they sound like Rush, Mark Levin, Hannity, any Republican that you know? Any conservative that you know?]

 

Of course not.  I'd say Berg's killers have more in common with the Rainbow Nazis - that's who I had in mind.

 

[They're criminals]

 

I see the actions of Berg's killers as being more consistent with those of the Nazis they admired; and given the sexual deviancy reported among Hitler's Nazi's, I extrapolate that to a not-so-distant future corporate landscape in which corporations exhibiting the moral standards of Ameriquest and Disney / gAyBC become the "norm" - and where speaking out against the transhumanist/homosexual/transgenderist agenda is suppressed, or ever outlawed, as it is in Canada.

 

Additionally,  the likes of the Saudis and Communists are gaining a shareholder presence in the American corporate world; and neither the Saudis or the Communist Chinese are particularly noted for their appreciation of free expression.

 

So I think free expression will soon need all the help it can get - and if that help comes from the Dinosaur Media, then, so long as we can slice and dice their product here on FR,  that's ok with me.

 

[We argue it out. We shout at each other. We debate. We are divisive.]

 

Unfortunately, I have witnessed instances on corporately sponsored on-line Tech support and consumer review forums (not FR) where this is not the case - where the corporate moderators clearly exhibit a bias towards the Rainbow Left's Agenda; and threads are edited to reflect that bias.  

 

Thus my observation that the traditional lines between Corporatism and Communism have become markedly less clear - with some new form of Rainbow Collectivism apparently being birthed in the process. 

 

[Enchante]

I don’t think we will run out of news providers - there will be loads of articles available even if some MSM dinosaurs go under. The business model is changing a lot, but there will still be demand for a lot of news & info. Sure, the web pushes everything toward a ‘free’ model and the big issue for MSM dinosaurs is how to collect money for their output, especially with classified ad revenue plunging lower.

BUT, there are still untold billions of dollars flowing through the MSM and there will be many news sources for a long time to come. Shake-ups and consolidations will continue, but I’m not worried about running out of material for FR threads.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: the Rainbow Left

Watch California's gay "marriage" state constitutional amendment coming this election day. Watch the collapse of San Francisco's city government resulting from among other things their sanctuary city status. Things are changing, IMO.

Re: Thus my observation that the traditional lines between Corporatism and Communism have become markedly less clear

I can agree in the context of Davos and our New Democrat Third Way progressives-transnational corporations partnership.

I have often described it as Marxist revolution from the top down.

See Davos World Economic Forum 2008 here

The Third Way knows it needs a free market to bring prosperity -- their corporate partners are being used but are happy making tons of money. Like Lenin's New Economic Plan (NEP) the day will come when the progressives start buying rope from their "partners" and hanging them. IMO.

[Milhous]

RE: "the “Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™”is also the FR DeathWatch."

Your assessment completely ignores FR's roles as a newsmaker and a virtual bulletin board for conservative activism.

IMHO mass media mostly produces propaganda. OTOH blogs serve me as the ultimate spy network with over a billion people feeding me intel. For instance a blog search on "Denver" for the past 24 hours returns about 30,000 hits. And that's just blogs. Add mail lists, tweets, chat rooms, etc to get an even better picture.

Bottom line - the Inet provides plenty of hard facts to critical thinkers.

[abb]

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/valkyrie-nazi-extras-sue-tom-cruises-studio/
‘Valkyrie’ Nazi Extras Sue Tom’s UA Studio

[LomanBill]

[Your assessment completely ignores FR's roles as a newsmaker and a virtual bulletin board for conservative activism.]

 

Not at all.  I recognize both.

 

But all you have to do is count the number of FR threads that are based upon MSM articles to see that the MSM is a key part of the FR business model. Without the MSM, FR would be quite different

 

>>IMHO mass media mostly produces propaganda.

 

Nothing prevents Internet blogs from doing the same.

 

>>OTOH blogs serve me as the ultimate spy network
>>with over a billion people feeding me intel.

 

True, but it's also great conduit for Mis/Dis information too.  Trying to sift out the "Alex Joneses" can be a challenge.

 

 

There's no easy answer.  It's ultimately up to consumer of information to decide the truth for themselves... assuming they managed to acquire the tools of logic and reason despite being edumacated.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

I agree. We of course will continue to weigh the information and we can go directly to local MSM sources.

In fact if we'd had the "new media" in 1964 the MSM could not have destroyed Goldwater to the extent that some actually asked after the election, "Did we go too far?"

Nevertheless it was how our system worked but one side had the "high-tech weapon" of TV to produce their propaganda.

Above I stated that IMO all this is how our system works. But things have changed

I remember Henry "Scoop" Jackson, Hubert Humphrey, Harry Truman -- I knew the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party was a friend of America. The Rat Party is no Democratic Party.