Julie Farren, reporter
John Berry, reporter
Hilary Cable, copy editor
Doug Seino, Web producer
Debbie Zucco, editorial
Merrill McCarty, editor
Tony Luu, copy desk
Tammy McCoy, reporter
Brian Melling, sports
Mo Holler, copy editor
Mike Rodriguez, copy editor
Dennis Brosterhous, copy editor
Ed Prather, copy editor
Carolyn Badger, part-time copy editor
*Updated with additional names.
Dennis Brosterhous, copy editor
Ed Prather, copy editor
Carolyn Badger, part-time copy editor
*Updated with additional names.
Posts
29 comments:
looks like the publisher was telling the truth last month when he said "staff decisions would be made on a month to month basis." when were the last ones, early March?
Rumor has it this was a part of the 500 they were working to eliminate before the end of this month.
John Berry is a good guy.
I'm sorry to hear that he got let go.
Worked with Mo in Ontario a decade and a half ago. Good guy.
mo's a great guy. so is mike and hillary. and with the scalliwags left it's hard to pursuade these folks not to take it personal. the best are now gone
There are a lot of familiar names on that list from my days at the P-E -- Hilary, Mo, Doug, Tammy, Tony. Good journalists, and darn good people. Sincere condolences, and best wishes to all of them.
I had the pleasure of working with Hilary at the Bulletin and if the PE thinks it can live without her, it's like a man thinking he can live without his heart.
Best of success in the next endeavor to all of us.
Removing Hillary, Mike and Mo from the copydesk removes the heart, soul and spirit.
"Removing Hillary, Mike and Mo from the copydesk removes the heart, soul and spirit."
Well said. These three are some of the best copydesk people out there and it was a pleasure working with them night in and night out.
-DA
So, if you survived this layoff, you are only assured of another month's work before another layoff could come down the pike?
That will help clear the place out and attain a "sustainable" number of newsroom jobs. And what is that number anyway? 50? 75?
Quick, somebody set the Wayback Machine to the date the Hays family sold the paper to Belo!
Mo can come live with me. I always had monkeyshines for the big guy.
Belo management has no idea how to run a newspaper. How come upper management is still around they don't do anything. They should be layed off instead of laying off hard working dedicated journalist.
Belo's newspaper side won't last. They've been trying to sell the newspapers for a year now and didn't. What's next? Likely more layoffs next month, and the next, until there's nothing left and they shut the doors and sell the huge dinosaur they built right behind Jack in the Box--yes, a fast food place whose smoke travels past Maria's office to the skies above.....People who are still there need to GET OUT NOW.
RE: Belo management doesn't know how to run a newspaper
ever heard the saying "promoted to the level of imcompetence"? that's probably what happened--decent people first, decent journalists, promoted to something they can't handle. if they were smarter.....
The statement about "they've been trying to sell" seems just a rumor. That has never been reported.
But....more layoffs? Most likely. Closing the doors? Who knows anything anymore.
It hit me this morning that, with the state of newspapers in general, I will probably never be able to call myself "journalist" again. That makes me very sad. The Press-Enterprise was a terrific paper four years ago - one where people were proud to work and one that proudly served its readers. It's hard on us the journalists, of course, but its also the end of democratic institution. We'll all be OK, but the institution, so important to honest, open government, is circling the drain. Thank you to everyone for the kind messages and your support!
I just wish the people who are still there the best luck! It's devastating to see such radical staff reduction.
Take care, friends.
The PE copydesk really got hit hard this time, 7 gone. The lucky ones chosen:
copyeditor, age 51
copyeditor, age 55
copyeditor, age 48
copyeditor, age 51
copyeditor, age 61
copyeditor (PT) age 45
copyeditor (PT) age 43
Plus two copy deskers moved to new duties. One to night cops and another to the Web.
Take a look at your staff today and cut it in half or more in a few more months. You will just have wire news and some very modest local coverage. There is no way a newspaper can stay afloat with revenues continuing to slide and it will not recover. Think a smaller staff, less circulation, and a minimal size paper. As circulation continues to drop, it becomes more costly to deliver etc. Of course, I am listing some of the problems, others have listed some solutions over the past several months that seem to make sense, yet, no one seems to have tried them.
I worked with Tammy McCoy for years. She has always been a hard-charging, ethical and dedicated courts reporter.
Nobody I worked with at the P-E got behind the scenes courthouse tidbits and told the real stories like she did.
What a loss.
It doesn't appear that Belo is interested in solutions. They're making so many cuts that one would think they're trying to make the product cheaper for someone to buy. How sad for the folks left -- wondering when the next layoffs are, wondering if anything will turn around, wondering how to get through the same workload with fewer people. Mistakes are bound to be made in the copy, and they won't be caught.
Question: if any of those recently laid off were offered the chance to have the job back, would you take it?
here's what happens when you get rid of your copydesk:
Today's PE, front section, page 2, headline on a short brief:
Boys accused of stabbing-for-higher
Way to go Belo!
Query to the masses: what would be the best place to work now that would be the sweetest revenge, in other words, make Belo's life the most miserable?
In answer to "Question: if any of those recently laid off were offered the chance to have the job back, would you take it?" personally, I would not, but it's more a matter of logistics than anything else. I moved to LA County in April because of an aging parent's needs, and the drive was just killing me. If there was a viable newspaper nearby, you bet I'd be right back in the fray :)
Question to "would you be back?" - I wouldn't if one day I were laid off.
The way the lay off was handled make you wonder what's next, not staying on a sinking ship. Plus it's not a fair place to work.
well its june now and it looks like they are coming for us(pressman). cant really blame them, were falling all over each other. if you think journalism is dead try being a printer. when i started 20 years ago there was no www now were a dinosaur. with belo the sky has always been falling. gloom is their first belo value. i cant quit but iwish it would just be over with!
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