Layoffs at the Union-Tribune

The San Diego Union-Tribune laid off five news staffers yesterday. The San Diego Reader has the story.

Possible layoffs in Orange County (updated*)

I'm told the Orange County Register laid off at least one newsroom employee, a photographer, yesterday and LA Observed has reported that buyouts and possible layoffs were brought up at the paper's staff meeting Thursday. I'm also told that bought-out employees are being asked to sign an agreement not to go work for competing media outlets. More when/if I get it.

*Update: Here's a posting on sportsjournalist.com that appears to explain what happened at the Register. Boiled down, nine laid off from the newsroom:

The ax dropped at The Orange County Register again on Thursday as nine associates in the newsroom were laid off. Another six from elsewhere in the building are expected to be let go in the near future. 

Sports was hammered, losing three -- two writers and one copy editor -- Curtis Zupke (Ducks, golf), Chris Tobolski (preps) and Alan Petersen (copy desk). 

The other six were a photog, news copy editor, advertorial writer, two Web editors and another desk editor who already announced his upcoming retirement. 

Layoffs were solely OCR, not Freedom-wide. Apparently there is a rumor that the OCR newsroom was the second largest in the state, behind only the L.A. Times and ahead of bigger papers in San Diego and the Bay Area. So corporate slashed based on that.

There's nothing said about a non-compete agreement.

MPB: Terry Gross is gross

Mississippi Public Broadcasting's executive director issued a statement to explain why the station dropped "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross: Apparently Terry is just too damned filthy.

Here's the statement (via Gawker):

Mississippi Public Broadcasting strives to deliver educational, informative, and meaningful content to its listeners. After careful consideration and review we have determined that Fresh Air does not meet this goal over time. Too often Fresh Air's interviews include gratuitous discussions on issues of an explicit sexual nature. We believe that most of these discussions do not contribute to or meaningfully enhance serious-minded public discourse on sexual issues. Our listeners who wish to hear Fresh Air may find it online.

Local radio stations can choose to broadcast whatever shows they want, but one has to be slightly deranged (or willfully ignorant) to describe "Fresh Air" as "too often" including "gratuitous discussions of an explicit sexual nature." Indeed, once seems to be "too often" enough for MPB. It was a portion of an interview with comedian Louise CK that seems to have triggered the whole hullabaloo. Here's the exchange (again, via Gawker):

Louis CK: But if I'm with a woman and she wants to be with me, she must like me. I definitely have sex with my T-shirt on, always. I haven't had sex without a shirt on, God, since I was about 23."

Terry Gross: Is that true?

Louis CK: Yeah, I just don't think that's fair. I mean, you know, let her think she's with somebody decent, you know? ... I do have sex sometimes on the show, and there's a rule that I have to be on my back.

Terry Gross: Why, because your stomach flattens?

Louis CK: Well, no, God, no. I'm not laying back in that bed thinking, "I look awesome right now." It's because I think I should always be the victim of the sex. I don't think anyone wants to see me looming over her. I think that's an upsetting image. And then also, the mother-dog stomach that I get when I'm ... you get the point.

Get me the smelling salts!

Daily News layoffs

At the end of what has been a bleak week for newspapers in Southern California comes word that the Daily News plans to lay off four people from editorial side - "possibly two today and two Friday," according to an email from union reps to newsroom employees.

On Off The Bus

The New York Times charts the progress Huffington Post's Off The Bus in covering the presidential campaign. The piece is largely a bio of OTB director Amanda Michel, although Mayhill Fowler makes an appearance. Arianna Huffington calls Fowler the "poster child for ordinary citizens being able to impact the campaign."