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NY Times to shut Boston Globe
PJ Heller, Photographer
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Santa Barbara | CA | USA | Posted: 1:55 AM on 05.04.09 |
->> And it’s first reported by the Washington Post.
Story at: http://tinyurl.com/culxpv |
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Kevin Leas, Photographer, Assistant
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Rochester | NY | USA | Posted: 7:54 AM on 05.04.09 |
->> Should read: NY Times likely to shut Boston Globe. It's not 100% confirmed yet.
However, it certainly doesn't look good. This is why I'm starting to look into working with some TV shows - I'm getting a bit too depressed with the way papers are heading. |
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Steve Ueckert, Photographer
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Houston | TX | | Posted: 8:07 AM on 05.04.09 |
->> "... the Times Co. said that it will file today a required 60-day notice of the planned shutdown....
"The move could amount to a negotiating ploy to extract further concessions from the Globe's unions....
"...the Times Co. is also said to be seeking to eliminate seniority rules and lifetime job guarantees for some union members."
"Lifetime job guarantees," is this for real, who gets a deal like this unless they are Federal Court judge? |
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Sean D. Elliot, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Norwich | CT | USA | Posted: 8:25 AM on 05.04.09 |
->> lifetime job guarantees were probably not all that unusual in the heyday of the guild.
this is going to come down to whether the guild really wants to preserve the most possible jobs or is willing to sacrifice all of them over the principal.
And I don't believe for a second that Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., cares if his legacy includes shuttering the Globe.
That said, if I recall past stories, the 60-day limit is pretty false, the Times could close the paper tomorrow and would just have to pay everyone for the remaining 59-days. Still save a lot of money on paper/ink/electricity while waiting for the 60-days to pass. |
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Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 11:56 AM on 05.04.09 |
| ->> Wow, "lifetime job guarantees", sounds a bit similar to the "cradle to the grave" thing the US auto industry had and we've all seen how well thats been working out for everyone involved... |
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Chip Litherland, Photographer
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Princeton | IN | USA | Posted: 12:17 PM on 05.04.09 |
->> But the Times Co. itself is under strong financial pressure. It recently mortgaged its new Manhattan headquarters, borrowed $250 million from a Mexican billionaire at 14 percent interest, laid off 100 newsroom staffers and cut salaries by 5 percent.
WOW! A $250 million loan at 14 percent interest! That in itself sounds like it will bury the NYT. |
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David Manning, Photographer
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Athens | GA | | Posted: 12:35 PM on 05.04.09 |
->> I could handle a "lifetime job guarantee."
But it sounds to me like NYT is trying to strong-arm the unions and make them cave.
I couldn't imagine Boston without the Boston Globe. |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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Live HVN : Work SFO-NYC | | | Posted: 1:07 PM on 05.04.09 |
->> David,
Can you imagine the Boston Herald with only 10 news reporters covering the city? I'm pretty sure that's what the Herald currently has on staff at the moment.
They have other reporters for other sections, but for news only in the area, its down to 10. |
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Armando Solares, Photographer
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Englewood | FL | USA | Posted: 1:16 PM on 05.04.09 |
->> Here is a good read from Vanity Fair on the NY Times troubles and its publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.
http://tinyurl.com/d6yvwb |
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John Germ, Photographer
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Wadsworth | Oh | USA | Posted: 2:39 PM on 05.04.09 |
->> "I could handle a "lifetime job guarantee."
But it sounds to me like NYT is trying to strong-arm the unions and make them cave.
I couldn't imagine Boston without the Boston Globe."
David - all the article says is they want concessions. Without the details of those concessions I wouldn't jump to the conclusion it's strong-arming. It very well could be. But it could also be aspects that just aren't financially sound in today's economy. For example, cost of benefits. No idea if that's part of the contract but benefit costs have skyrocketed. If, for instance, they were getting benefits and company was paying 100% of the cost I would say that's an unrealistic expectation in today's world. But I have no idea what those concessions are. I think unions CAN BE and HAVE BEEN very valuable to workers in a lot of industries but I think they can get out of touch with reality too and contracts and labor agreements that can work in times of fat profit margins can be untenable in tougher times like now. |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 2:43 PM on 05.04.09 |
| ->> Steven I'm having a hard time imagining the Herald being THE Boston paper. Don't get me wrong, I always liked the Herald, but in a Enquirer kind of way. If it becomes the only paper in town the political machines are going to blow gaskets. |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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Live HVN : Work SFO-NYC | | | Posted: 3:27 PM on 05.04.09 |
->> Eric,
The Herald has been producing some great work for years. They are overlooked as a Tab, but really they have been going head to head with The Globe for years. Even with a stripped out newsroom, it does some good journalism on a daily basis.
The Globe had been a fairly consistent client of mine, however boarding a flight out of BOS I always snagged The Herald.
Boston is a City that really is a two paper city. The divide of people in the city is clear, although ou find find many people reading both...and daily as you walk around you see people actually reading newspapers.
I'd hate to see The Globe go though, it is my Sunday paper |
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John Bowersmith, Photographer
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Lubbock | Tx | USA | Posted: 8:10 PM on 05.05.09 |
| ->> Does the lifetime job guarantee specify lifetime of employee or lifetime of newspaper? |
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Kevin Leas, Photographer, Assistant
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Rochester | NY | USA | Posted: 9:34 PM on 05.05.09 |
->> For ease of following, the Globe has a page dedicated to updates on this: http://www.boston.com/business/specials/globe/
The latest: the newspaper guild is proposing a 23% pay cut for their members. Twenty three percent. At that rate, you have to wonder...is that better or worse than the 100% cut you'd take from walking away and going freelance? |
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David Gordon, Photographer
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 2:42 PM on 05.06.09 |
| ->> Steve totally agree with you that the Herald does good work. When I was in school I had a goal of being a staffer there if only for a year. Never panned out but I always did like their work. The style of writing, and the stories, seem a little too hyped as I've grown older and less won over by 'amplitude'. |
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Michael Durisseau, Photographer, Assistant
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Santa Fe | TX | USA | Posted: 4:19 PM on 05.06.09 |
| ->> I hate to see this...my feeling is that the upper management should be taking the same cuts... |
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