Fading away?
By now, everyone has probably heard about the last round of layoffs at the Clarion-Ledger. 20 were released and unfortunately for them, Gannett changed the terms of the severance package from those provided in previous rounds. Previous severance packages gave the employees one weeks' pay for each year of service and covered COBRA. The current deal is a cookie cutter one-size-fits-all: they all get the same package regardless of time of service: they cover the difference between state unemployment and salary. Health benefits are not covered. There is also a thread about the layoffs on Gannettoid.com.
Unfortunately for the local newspaper, Gannett is running it into the ground with poor business decisions while a weak economy and changing environment deprive it of much-needed revenue. Even if the newspaper were profitable, Gannet will suck every dollar it can out of its balance sheet. There are many good people at the Clarion-Ledger and our hearts go out to those who must now look elsewhere for employment.
8 comments:
No surprise Gannett cut the packages back, only surprised that were as generous as they were to begin with. Gannett has a rep for, shall we say, operating as cheaply as possible? That's been part of problem I think for years- in the first place, they didn't freaking pay enough to attract good talent down here to The Showplace of the South, otherwise known as Jackson. Not that there hasn't been local talent, but outside talent has been sorely needed imo.
The CL is on it's way out, sorry but that's the truth. It's rubbish pretty much and has been for a while (uh, years). Pretty soon it will be just a crossword puzzle, dear Abby, lost and found ads and advertising for pawn shops and bail bondsmen.
Interesting that this happened at a time when Gannett just reported a surprising profit.
The news release last week said 20 (total) including three from the newsroom but gave no names. A friend who works for Gannett in NJ said 60 got laid off there, and he had to take over editing the layoff story from another editor who himself got laid off in this latest purge.
Bad business decisions aside, the C-L is running itself into the ground with bad editorial decisions, bad writing, and inaccurate or incomplete stories, all killing any hope for credibility. If it wasn't for the grocery coupons we'd drop our subscription. I've lived in a lot of places, knew one Pulitzer Prize-winner fairly well in another town, and this lot is basically pathetic. I get most of my news from the internet.
I wish CL could do something about their website. I don't find it user friendly, but that's probably intentional.
6:12, I have long wished that Jackson had a newspaper like that.
Something credible and responsible instead of being unrelentingly negative and buttkissy.
Hate it for the folks who were let go, that's a shame.
Have you seen the Baton Rouge "Advocate". What a great newspaper, in a city about the size of Jackson. It is independently owned, not like the Ledger. Doesn't make sense!
WHo exactly was let go in the newsroom this time?
Post a Comment