Rise and Shine

Good Morning August warriors!

There was a bloodletting over the past couple of days and it had nothing to do with the war in Iraq.
For those of you who follow such things, those in control of the newspaper business claim to be having tough times. Their stock prices are shrinking, advertising is shrinking and now the size of staff is shrinking.
Gannett Co., the publisher of USA Today as well as hundreds of other newspapers around the country, announced last week it was laying off 600 workers. It is the biggest mass-layoff in newspaper history. The powers that be then let everybody think about it through the weekend and past Monday before starting to alert those let go Tuesday. The layoffs continue today. The company claims everybody will know by Thursday.
Gannett years ago left Pennsylvania, but still owns the News-Journal in Wilmington and the Courier Post in Cherry Hill, N.J. There are various reports of numbers of layoffs at both sites.
The bottom line isn't that the newspaper industry is changing. We all know that. The fact you found this blog just shows how much it has changed. Thanks to the Internet, we are quickly (faster than most would like to believe) becoming an hourly news source instead of a daily news source.
If we don't have the information about the fire down the street as it happens, we are behind the eight-ball. Those quick hits can serve as a jumping point into the newspaper, where you can get more information, photos etc.
Gannett, though, found a new way to put a knife into the heart of the industry. If the company feels it needs to lay off people, fine, but don't make them stew. Don't make them work four days while not knowing if they are going to be escorted out.
Gannett was on the cutting-edge when it comes to news gathering. They were the first to use color on daily pages. They were the first to use information graphics as a way to enhance a story. They were the first to really jump into the Internet.
At the heart, though, they are heartless. Once the managers decide you have been there too long, they make life miserable. Now, they make life miserable for everybody.
It's just another corporate owner who doesn't really care about those in the trenches.
Treat people with respect.
Just remember: Karma's a bitch.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com