Mar 23, 2009

Layoffs, pay cuts at Oregonian

The cost-cutting announced today at the Newhouse newspapers has hit the Portland Oregonian particularly hard. According to the editor's blog, staffers will see their paychecks reduced by between 5 and 10 percent, with three top editors taking cuts of 15 percent. Staffers will also be forced to take four days of unpaid leave between May and September and have their pensions frozen. Additionally, the paper laid off 24 part-time workers and reassigned 28 others, and is making "significant" but unspecified changes to its circulation and distribution operations.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

who need it. this seems to be the future of journalism. they can keep it. i'm getting out. only the desperados will stay and put up with this. people need to be bettering themselves and making MORE money, not LESS.

Anonymous said...

I agree. And when the economy gets better, that is possible. But the desperados are the smart ones for now. Nearly everyone I know who has bailed in the past six to eight months - good, smart people with good college degrees - have jobs that pay much less than what they had in the media. Until things turn around, better to wait to be pushed than to jump.

Anonymous said...

people left journalism and took jobs that paid LESS? what are they doing, flipping burgers?

i will be gone if LANG asks for a second furlough week. there's only so much indignity i can take.

Anonymous said...

Come on you can work at Starbucks or bag grocieries and make what we make.

I don't know of anyone who left that is NOT making more and is not happier.

I am with anon who posted at 9:11 a.m. most of us were underpaid before the economy tanked. The economy turning around is not going to get us raises.

Anonymous said...

to 10:51, get your head out of the sound. can't you do any better? i don't know who these folks are that you are refering to but if they are doing worse, there must be something wrong with them. most folks i know who left mediasnews are doing better financially. so that is sad that you know folks who are making Less. Medianews grossly underpays. a checker in the supermarket makes what most copy editors and reports at LANG make. you can only go UP by getting out of journalism, with all the furloughs and cuts. Anywhere has a brighter future.

Anonymous said...

yeah, dude, get a clue. i know beginning secretaries without degrees making more than reporter in LANG. anyone can do better by going unless if you no confidence in yourself. i agree with the poster at 9:11. who need it??!!! they can keep it. even before the economy tanked the pay was offensive. and now they are asking for pay cuts and furloughs? think about your future. you sure won't have one if you hang out and grow old at LANG.

Anonymous said...

lang better get their act together on a number of fronts. I am hearing a lot of chatter from long time subscribers about sections being left out of their papers on a regular basis and not being able to get any satisfaction or heaven forbid, a call back. circulation must be tanking along with advertising and employees have had enough and don't want to work for squat. When economy turns lang will be left with those at the bottom of the food chain.

Unknown said...

Circulation department cutting 14 independent distributers by may 1st. and about another 25-30 by summers end.

Anonymous said...

Not everyone works for Dean Singleton, so yes, many newspaper jobs are still not bad in the current job-seeking climate.