Responding to an edict handed down from parent-company A.H. Belo, the Riverside Press-Enterprise started another round of layoffs on Wednesday. I haven't heard how many positions are being cut but the names are beginning to trickle in. Yesterday, Executive News Editor Barbara Tarshes was handed a pink slip. Here are a few additional names to add to the list:
Richard Fisher, assistant managing editor
Glenn Gullickson, city editor
Cindy Martinez Rhodes, reporter
Imran Vittachi, reporter
Greg Vojtko, photographer
Zeke Minaya, SB County reporter
Melanie Ladonga, news assistant
Jessican Logan, night cops reporter
A number of these journalists had covered areas in San Bernardino, which makes me wonder if the paper is pulling back its non-Riverside coverage.
*Updated March 9, 12:18 p.m.: Additional names:
From sports:
Diamond Leung
Tim Dutton
Dan Alegria
Kevin Pierson
Jason Vrtis
Dan Weber
Ralm Jung
Photographers:
David Shea
Frank Bellino
Paul Alvarez
Reporting staff:
Hope Pierson
Jessica Logan
Art department:
Becky Hageman
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
18 comments:
You'll notice that the editor's husband (a PE photographer) is not among those laid off - funny how that works. Several of the editor's friends who work at the PE also appear to be safe. Did anyone expected fairness in the cutbacks?
Sadly, I did notice that some of the names of those in the clique are noticeably absent.
Don't forget Diamond Leung, Dodgers beat writer. Summoned from Spring Training in Arizona to get the news.
Plus the USC beat writer position, and the UCLA one as well. That's three positions they just hired AP for... As well as another three photo positions and a graphics person (leaving just two from a staff that was five last September).
What photogs/photo editor does that leave? Obviously not going by seniority...and yes there was not much fairness in who got cut. Poor Imran and Cindy. Good reporters not appreciated at least by Editor.
Hmmm...I guess being the editor's personal stoolie doesn't guarantee permanent employment after all.
Anyone have a list of the dearly departed?
They already pulled all their San Bernardino people back to the main building anyway. Their Biz Press folks are back in the fold too. So yes, pulling back.
Also Sports ASE Tim Dutton has been axed it appears. No longer in staff box on Sports 2
And I take exception to the comment about Mark Zaleski not being laid off. Yes he's married to Maria so what. He's an award winning photog and has been since his SB Sun days. Good guy and great photog, nuff said
Hi Mark. Or is it Maria?
Here's as much of a list I have:
6 in sports: Diamond Leung, Tim Dutton, Dan Alegria (whose wife Crystal from marketing also laid off), Kevin Pierson, Jason Vrtis, and Matt Calkins
4 in photo: David Shea, Greg Vojtko, Frank Bellino, Paul Alvarez
Management: Barbara Tarshes, Richard Fisher, Glenn Gullickson
5 reporters: Melanie Ladonga, Hope Pierson, Jessica Logan, Imran Vittachi, Zeke Minaya, Cindy Rhodes
1 art dept: Becky Hageman (who'd been there a million years)
sorry to see them go (except the managers!) And Marketing dept down to one person, and HR dept down to one person
A lot of good journalists and all-around nice people had their lives turned upside down by -- what is the corporate-speak? - the corporate-wide work force reduction.
These layoffs are nasty. I wish my former colleagues nothing but the best as they begin their lives outside of the PE, which hasn't been a great place to work since Belo bought it.
This round also included the entire marketing dept except the VP, some long-time advertising folks and also from content & programming, including Dan Alegria's wife, Crysta, which is pretty bad when both a husband and wife lose their jobs.
This is all very disappointing for SoCal coverage to say the least. Zeke Minaya was a very good reporter. He even won a Pulitzer at the LA Times.
It stinks that the top editor is married to a photographer, who just happens to get all the plum assignments. Sure, he's a nice guy, but that convenient arrangement is just one facet of the uncomfortable and unprofessional working environment at the PE. Maria's friends and recruits are favored and can pick and choose their work hours and beats, while all other employers are forced to conform to a rigid corporate culture.
The maintenance department has been hit extremly hard. The pre-press shop, the one that lupricates and cleans the presses has been terminated. Tony and Rich have been let go with only their supervisor surviving the axe. The machine shop was gutted and cut with only 2 machinists left. Paul Winters and Chris were let go from that shop.
The press enterprise maintenance department now consists of only 5 people to take care of all the equpment.
More highly skilled members of our family turned out into the streets and into the unemployment lines by Belo.
Post a Comment