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Next round of job cuts
Alan Rogers, Photographer
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Hickory | NC | USA | Posted: 2:46 PM on 04.18.08 |
->> The Tampa Tribune, along with its sister publications, has offered buyouts to 50% of its employees.
http://tinyurl.com/3hvwtg |
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Clark Brooks, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 9:51 PM on 04.18.08 |
| ->> The cuts are finally moving our way in downstate Illinois, too. Our local paper will lose five people from the newsroom, made up of writers and possibly a shooter, in the coming months. I'm hoping they don't loose a photog in the process. They are a bunch of swell folks to work beside at events. My fingers are crossed that the photo office will be spared. |
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Thomas Boydston, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Conroe | Tx | United States | Posted: 10:59 PM on 04.18.08 |
->> Hang in there, guys. It'll all work out for the best.
I may be changing my major within the next few days- oi. |
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Jeff Gritchen, Photographer
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Long Beach | CA | USA | Posted: 11:12 PM on 04.18.08 |
->> ""Hang in there, guys. It'll all work out for the best. ""
It'll work out, but not for the best |
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Doug Thompson, Photographer
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Floyd | VA | | Posted: 7:26 AM on 04.19.08 |
->> One of the more promising students I work with in the NPPA mentoring program announced last week she is scrapping her plans to become a photojournalist and switching her major. She said she reads too many stories about layoffs and cutbacks.
Whenever I hear from an old friend still in the business it's usually to let me know that he or she is (1) laid off or (2) taking an early buyout.
Seems like my decision to leave full-time newspaper employment in 1981 and concentrate on free-lance was a smarter move than I thought at the time. There have been lean years and fat years but I wouldn't swap the 25 years of variety, changing locales and challenging assignments.
But the free-lance market now is largely a hell-hole of rights-robbing, work-for-hire contracts, declining day rates and nickel-and-dime fights over transmission fees and expenses.
Down here in Southwestern Virginia, I pay the bills because the bean counters at the chains that own the smaller papers around here won't give the local sheets enough money to hire even one full-time shooter. That, at least, leaves the door open for a 60-year-old semi-retired shooter with two plastic knees, a titanium hip and 11 screws holding his ankles together. But it doesn't bode well for the talented and promising young shooters who want to get into the business and see all the doom and gloom that lie ahead.
Sad times indeed. |
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Michael Myers, Photographer
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Miami Beach | FL | USA | Posted: 8:06 PM on 04.19.08 |
->> After reading dozens of these threads over the past few years, let me ask the following - what happens when/if ALL the printed newspapers vanish into oblivion, and all that's left is a web-related world, with news transmitted electronically?
Instead of filling 50 pages of newsprint with images and text, it all goes to web pages, presumably with far fewer stories and photos. What then?
I guess I'm asking, what if more people get like me, and simply go to 'google' and click on 'news' to find out what's going on? What's our future as reporters and photographers? |
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Zach Honig, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Philadelphia | PA | USA | Posted: 8:26 PM on 04.19.08 |
->> Michael,
It's definitely more a question of when... we're obviously already seeing the negative effects of downsizing in print publications. That said - there are jobs in online publications, and online departments at newspapers continue to expand. I've seen jobs and internships offered in which photographers will be "shooting primarily for the website."
As for content - I'm not sure where you get the idea that a transition from print to web means "far fewer stories and photos." If anything, it's the opposite. Photos are being used in new ways (i.e. SoundSlides with audio), image galleries contain more images than print can budget for. And for stories - there's a greater need to produce stories as they happen - which has resulted in newspapers not only publishing their regular content but also supplementing it with content written after the print deadline.
There will always be a need for photographers. I guess the question is how many.
Good luck everyone!
-Zach |
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John Riddell, Photographer
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| ON | Canada | Posted: 8:46 PM on 04.19.08 |
->> Sadly the publisher of the largest daily in Canada is cutting back too.
122 people from the Star(daily) and Metroland(community dailies & weeklies)
Silly thing is, they've committed to more of a web presence and let go all 10 of their web production staff.....due to redundancy after moving most of the work to the editorial staff.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gFw5X44RFbwOXKSE32rZjWW4CeZg
There are a couple of Star staffers on SS.com. |
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Scott Mallon, Photographer
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Bangkok | N/A | Thailand | Posted: 9:44 PM on 04.20.08 |
| ->> This just flat out sucks...hard for me to keep thinking positively when I'm reading this sort of thing. I'm in Bangkok and in a bit of a bubble; the more I hustle the more I make money. But if I weren't writing as well as shooting I could never make ends meet. Everytime I read something like this I get depressed. |
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Hal Smith, Photographer
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Sedalia | MO | USA | Posted: 7:02 PM on 04.21.08 |
->> Can you say revenue?
Over the past few years the revenue that newspapers were making in large markets was around 20%. Today because of the shift from classified print advertising to websites that list everything from jobs to cars, those same publications are losing money hand over fist.
But the worst part is,that none of the websites that newspapers operate generate enough income to support little if any staff to generate stories, photos and video. For large market newspapers its a "Lose, Lose " situation that management is having a hard time in reconciling.
Show me internet based newsgathering and dessimination that can support a staff of 200 reporters and photojournalists without dipping into the mother print publication's resources or that can stand alone without having a mother at all for that matter. |
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Doug Thompson, Photographer
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Floyd | VA | | Posted: 8:33 PM on 04.21.08 |
->> The Washington Post web site lost millions in its early years but, according to a 2006 story in the paper, went into the black in 2004:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/18/AR200606180...
The Post web site has a dedicated staff of 65, including a multimedia operation, and operates a CND (continuous news desk) around the clock.
I worked out of the DC area for 23 years and lived a few blocks from the Post's Digital Ink offices in Arlington (Va). Visited the operation a few times and was impressed by the energy of the place.
Is this our future? Probably. More of more of my free-lance work is appearing on web sites and I started shooting video several years ago to tap into that market. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 8:18 AM on 04.25.08 |
->> http://www.nypost.com/seven/04252008/business/the_worst_of_times_108073.htm
"THE New York Times' news room is bracing for a bloodbath in the next 10 days.
The word from inside is that approximately 50 unionized journalists have accepted the buyout proposal, and only another 20 non-union editorial employees have gotten on board.
That means the ax could fall on as many as 30 editorial people in the company's first-ever mass firing of journalists in its 156-year history." |
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Diana Porter, Photographer
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 7:43 PM on 06.21.08 |
| ->> The Houston Chronicle has cut over 50% of it's freelancers... |
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Rob Ostermaier, Photographer
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Newport News | VA | USA | Posted: 9:32 PM on 06.21.08 |
->> To answer Michael's question. If all the papers closed down much of the news content on the web would disappear. Not all but most. Google, Yahoo and other large news site rely heavily on newspapers for their content. Thats the only way their business model holds up. Online ads do not generate enough money to support a staff for news gathering operations. At least not right now.
The only thing that will stop the bleeding is for the suits to realize that it's a more competitive market and the days of 25% profit are over. 5% margins may be more realistic going into the future. The problem with that is many papers are leveraged to the hilt and the banks will come in and take over if they don't maintain an acceptable profit level and make their loan payments. Thus people get laid off, the product suffers, profits get worse and more people get laid off. It's a self-destructive downward spiral. |
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Michael Moriatis, Photographer
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Santa Barbara | CA | USA | Posted: 11:27 PM on 06.21.08 |
->> Diana,
Why would the paper cut a freelance when it cost nothing to keep them as freelancers? |
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Kevin M. Cox, Photographer, Assistant
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Galveston / Houston | TX | US | Posted: 12:10 AM on 06.22.08 |
| ->> Michael, I don't work there, but the way I've heard it is that they have cut their freelance *budget* by 50%. As such many freelancers aren't getting near as many assignments as they used to, and I would assume that some aren't getting any assignments at all. But again, my information is all third party. |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Not Listed | MA | United States | Posted: 10:26 PM on 06.24.08 |
->> According to the story that I heard the Herald is outsourcing the printing of the paper. As a result everyone working in the press department is looking at getting axed. Sad but this has been the writing on the wall since the buyouts 2(?) years ago.
From what I was told the Herald was kept afloat because of the community papers that were part of the company as a whole. Once The Enterprise, The Ledger etc were sold the Herald's safety net was gone.
Personally I alway liked the edge/humour/grit of the Herald. |
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Lane Christiansen, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Jasper | IN | USA | Posted: 10:11 AM on 07.03.08 |
| ->> How depressing. I keep being told by shooters and editors that jobs will be there for talented photographers. It will be hard to get but they are there. I don't know how much more of this news I can handle being a year away from graduating. Ugh! |
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Jean Finley, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Iowa City | IA | USA | Posted: 5:11 PM on 07.04.08 |
->> Mr. Gee was like so many, a very talented, creative employee who has been shown the door over the last several years. His photos are representative of what a lot of folks are thinking (plus his unique creative take). And to be fair, Mr. Gee (like others) has other recent life events that inform his sensibilities.
Newspaper's loss will be some other industry's gain.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellvetica/sets/72157604470612285/ |
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Mark Loundy, Photo Editor
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 7:01 PM on 07.04.08 |
->> Mr. Gee is going to have a hard time getting hired by anybody familiar with his parting shots.
Never burn bridges. Someday you may have to use them to retreat.
--Mark |
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Jeffery Jones, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Gallup | NM | USA | Posted: 2:41 AM on 07.05.08 |
| ->> I am SO glad that our newspaper is (mostly) owned by the Zollinger family, and Singleton is a minority shareholder in it. Whatever people may or may not think of our majority owner/publisher, Bob Zollinger, he IS keeping his people on-board and circulation is actually on an upswing over the last several months. |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 4:51 AM on 07.05.08 |
->> From LA Observed:
"MediaNews owner Dean Singleton tried to allay fears about the finances of his newspaper empire with a memo to the staff Thursday pooh-poohing the downgrade of Media News by Standard & Poors. Probably didn't help confidence that Singleton, in trying to praise recently fired help, proved to be spelling-challenged:
The recent necessary downsizing at some of our newspapers was a difficult decision, from both a personal and professional perspective, and we will certainly miss our cohorts. Each played an important role in the company, and there departure, through no fault of their own, leaves a whole that the rest of our employees will have to find a way to fill. "
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2008/07/lang_loses_another.php |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 1:09 PM on 07.05.08 |
->> Someone forwarded me this interesting read on the decline of "community newspapers" in So Cal:
http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/singletons-small-town-la-papers-nosedive/.../
Singleton's "Small-Town L.A." Papers Nosedive
Suburban coverage hit hard as the Press-Telegram, Daily News, Daily Bulletin, others, falter
By MARK CROMER
THEIR FACES SHADOWED IN THE GLOW of a bar’s low-watt lanterns, several figures huddle at a corner table, radiating an air that is two pours depression with a splash of 120-proof defiance. Smoking cigarettes and using the hushed tones of clandestine conversation, some glance over their shoulders, evoking a scene from the Paris underground, circa 1942.
There is talk of subterfuge, backstabbing and betrayal, flashes of righteous anger followed by a weary sense of fatalism.
Yet it’s not a wartime City of Light but Los Angeles, 2008, and the resistance guerrillas at the table are journalists from media mogul Dean Singleton’s chain of regional daily newspapers that stretch from San Bernardino to the shorelines of Manhattan Beach and Long Beach to the San Fernando Valley. |
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Curtis Clegg, Photographer
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Belvidere | IL | USA | Posted: 1:33 PM on 07.05.08 |
->> Thanks Robert, it looks like "El Dino" needs a proofreader instead of spell cheque.
“They’re way past stripping the paper to the bone,” says Joe Segura, a 34-year veteran of the Long Beach newsroom. “They’re digging for marrow now.”
Ouch. |
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Walter Calahan, Photographer
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