Orlando Sentinel publisher's layoffs memo

Poynter ^ | Nov 29 05 | Kathy Waltz

[ARCADIA]

"...important business decisions that will help position Orlando Sentinel Communications for future growth...

It sure doesn't sound like it.

[Dont Mention the War]

We will continue to innovate and change our newspaper to stay important and interesting. We are in the process of redesigning several newspaper sections to give the Sentinel greater functionality and efficiency for our readers and advertisers. You will hear more about these innovations in the coming weeks.

Translation: A smaller newspaper with a higher percentage of published articles being generic wire service pieces. Which means even more readers will drop the paper because it will suck even more than it does now, forcing another round of layoffs in a couple of years ... lather, rinse, repeat.

But you can be sure Kathy Waltz has her annual bonuses written into her contract for many years to come!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Is there a Madlibs book for these down-sizing/layoff letters where they just fill in the company name and specifications in the blanks?

[ARCADIA]

forcing another round of layoffs in a couple of years ... lather, rinse, repeat.

I would give them six months at best.

[FLCowboy,]

Seems pretty forthright to me. The printed media is the first to go through these changes brought by the internet, and I suspect broadcast media will follow.

While my generation still clings to the newspaper, and watches network news each night, we're also reading blogs, following online opinion articles, and generally making the change to electronic media.

Can you envision a world where you can form your own opinion from the facts, rather than an editorial writer telling you how he/she thinks, and how you should think?

[VOA]

bump

[billhilly]

"Our company is strong and successful, and together we will evolve and change to adapt to new market realities."

What kind of doublespeak is that? "...together we will evolve and change....."

Those folks are being fired. May there be more firings until the media wake up.

[martin_fierro]

"Yyyyeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhh ... if you could all go ahead and have your desks cleaned out by the close of business today, that would be greeeeeaaaaaat."

[samadams2000]

Not familiar with them..Is this another commie rag going under? The only industry that lies and insults their customer base on a daily basis...oh forgot the news networks. FLUSH!!

[daysailor]

"Our company is strong and successful, and together we will evolve and change to adapt to new market realities."

Huh?

Big layoffs, but they're "strong and successful". If my employer tried to put that over on me I'd be running for the hills.

[clintonh8r]

In a free market economy businesses which poorly serve their customers will eventually die. Next to go: (Ft Lauderdale) Sun Sentinel.

[AmusedBystander]

Big layoffs, but they're "strong and successful". If my employer tried to put that over on me I'd be running for the hills.

Newspapers are some of the most profitable companies out there. They will lay off a handful like this to get their margins back to 30% from 28%. Just check out the financials from S&P500, they make big oil look bad in financial performance.

[Doohickey]

we are faced with important business decisions that will help position Orlando Sentinel Communications for future growth

It's funny. All company memos of this type include a line like this. I always wonder if the executives that author these things if they really think that ex- or soon-to-be-ex-employees really give a crap about "future growth" or "shareholder value".

[plangent]

Kathy is Walzing through the graveyard.

Perhaps a more "conservative" editorial agenda would help.

[NonValueAdded]

why don't they try "fair and balanced" reporting? I'll bet it never crossed their minds or they probably think they already do. </sarc>

[Fierce Allegiance]

And I said, I don't care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time, then, then I'm, I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And, and I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were merry, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire...

[RayChuang88]

Let's see how long before someone posts a Schadenfreude image.

[ncountylee]

Just fired off an email to the turd.

[Banjoguy]

I live in Orlando. The paper is another liberal rag which manages to alienate the citizens of the community more as each day goes by. Our community recently had an issue with them about their posture regarding a city government project which would have adversely affected our neighborhood.

Small, independent community newspapers are coming along nicely.

The writers of the sentinel are at war with anyone they feel is not touchy feely enough. The staff writers are elitist, liberal, stupid and lazy.

The price of adverts is outrageous and they censor them to suit whatever liberal PC scheme they are hawking...very little news really gets through the garbage.

It's just a matter of time before they go completely broke.

They have managed to contaminate a large area under their main office and print facility with chemicals. So much for being a good citizen. (Hang on, I'll tell you what I really think.)