Posted on 04/15/2007 9:46:22 AM PDT by LdSentinal
The now-infamous “Names in boxes” memo at the AJC came out Thursday and, in the words of one staffer, it so emotionally devastated the newsroom that it’s a miracle an edition of the paper was printed that evening.
Essentially, the memo lays out which jobs are going to be kept under the paper’s re-structuring. More importantly, it also conveys which jobs aren’t going to be kept. About half the staff had their names “in the box.” The rest are going to have to apply for new jobs within the newsroom and the fear is, of course, that if you don’t receive a job, you’ll be fired.
Staffers and former staffers say it was like being hit by a “shock and awe” mission. One person e-mailed: “I had a friend that gathered a bunch of ppl and they all drank in her apartment, versus going to [a] 6pm meeting to “explain” the changes. No one that I know felt like feeling the sting further - they wanted to drink it off. “
Another e-mailed: “Got lots of depressed drunken txts from colleagues last night. It’s really awful in the newsroom this week.”
The word is the AJC will now depend on wire services for the bulk of its movie reviews (you prefer Curt Holman and Felicia Feaster anyway, right?) and will retain the services of just one music writer. The health/science coverage will be cut back to one reporter.
Here’s what we’re hearing in terms of the breakdown on some of the jobs that will be kept and those that won’t:
The metro and sports departments are largely intact. So is design and photo. However, the paper will no longer have a NASCAR reporter or a golf writer. The theory is that despite the Masters and the PGA’s THE TOUR Championship at East Lake, plus the two NASCAR races here, there isn’t enough news on those beats to justify having reporters assigned to them.
The science/medicine team will be disbanded and one reporting position will now cover that beat. From that team, Mike Toner, the only AJC reporter with a Pulitzer on his mantle, took the buyout. Gayle White, Alison Young, Bill Hendrick and Andy Miller could all compete for that beat.
Ironically, Young’s last story on the CDC, published last week, was about how the agency hired ombudsmen “to address poor employee morale, complaints about a massive reorganization and an exodus of key staff that sparked concern among members of Congress and five former CDC directors.”
The paper’s features and business departments will be most affected by the re-organization and, in the words of one staffer, will be playing 52-card pick-up for jobs. For example, there will be only one music writer when the dust settles. The two writers currently on the music beat, Sonia Murray and Nick Marino, will apparently compete for that one job.
The movie section comes out even worse. The paper’s highly respected lead critic, Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, took the buyout. The plan now is to rely primarily on wire services for movie reviews with remaining critic Bob Longino filling in the gaps. Steve Murray must apply for another position.
The Peach Buzz’s Rich Eldridge is safe. However, his cohorts Rodney Ho (who covers radio) and Jill Vejnoska (who covers television) must compete for a single job. Two reporters with very specialized beats are also without set jobs: Cathy Fox, who covers visual arts, and Pierre Ruhe, who covers classical music.
Others now without a set job include business writers Tammy Joyner, Mike Kanell and Carrie Teegardin.
Word is there was much angst in the newsroom when the list was handed out: reporters hunting down senior editors to yell at them, others finding a corner in which to go and cry.
The turmoil will continue for at least six more weeks. The job re-application process isn’t over until June 1.
Usually to see just what a liberal rag is saying. I like to keep up on the liberal viewpoint. Sometimes I listen to Randy Rhodes while driving through West Palm Beach. She is simply a liberal idiot spewing nonsensical garbbage but it is good to hear for your self.
In the early 70s I lived D.C. and worked at the Pentagon. I’d read the Wash. Post. Too bad it’s sunk so low but I still pick one up when I’d there just to see for myself.
Sort of the fair and balanced thing. Check out both sides then make my own decision.
Hee hee hee hee, yuk yuk yuk. I stopped buying this rag becuase of its liberal bias and I tell every subscription caller and huckster why. It makes me feel so good that there is a result from my strike.
Irony? Or karma?
That should be an easy gig. All you have to do is recycle articles about "affordable" health care and global warming.
I claim no expertise in the industry, but I have to wonder why anyone would join what appears to be a declining business model.
Comments from a subscriber:
1. My sub was due to run out a couple of weeks ago. I told them the price was too high and I would not be renewing- then was told about a “special” rate which was about 50% less, and not a bad deal.
2. I mainly subscribe because they have a very good sports section, especially on college sports. Also my wife probably saves the cost of the subscription from the Sunday ads and coupons.
3. Until recently, they would publish puff pieces on various rappers on a regular basis. Haven’t seen much of that since the Imus thing.
This might present an OPPORTUNITY for freelancers who want to cover NASCAR. Just send your reports to the managing editor. That’s how I got stuff published. I’m thinking that newspapers will be using MORE freelance material in the future.
Well, the only trouble is that it is the peons who are paying, not the big sh*ts.
I can’t begin to express my glee that this crazed klutz may get a pink slip. Never has one with so little talent risen so high in my profession. I worked for years for a competing paper and never ceased to marvel at the arrogance of those idiots in Atlanta.
I remember the old days when Paul Schaat was at the head of the editorial board. The opinion page was actually balanced! That was before the paper was sold to Gannett. Dan Quayle was part of the Pulliam family who owned the paper originally! Keven Willey single-handedly destroyed the paper (well she has had a lot of help from EJ Montini and Richard “I never heard a liberal lie I wouldn’t repeat, especially if it fits the profile about the exploitation of poor Mexicans” Uribe).
An outfit I was working for recently wanted to post a quarter-page ad in the AJC for an educational seminar that will be showing there later this spring. Their rates, even for educational non-profits are ridiculous.
What approach did your auto dealership settle on? Inquiring minds want to know.
She says they are “doing more with the Internet” like cars.com.
I actually wasn’t buying a car, we were holding a press conference there on a vehicle registration bill. Myself, I recently bought a new truck and I shopped entirely on the Internet and worked a deal through e-mail and over the phone. The dealership was 35 miles away, but I paid $29,000 for a $41,000 MSRP new truck so it was worth the drive.
Congratulations.
This is going to be the new focus of left wing activism, methinks, especially if the paper is owned by a chain. I was reading the same sort of sob story about job cuts at the local Dem rag in some free (who would pay for it?) “progressive” rag just recently.
Some of the “Peons” are just as bad and sooner or later I hope there will be no reason for the ACJ.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.