Comments on: Some of the Union-Tribune staffers having a terrible day

By: tom

tom — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:24:35 +0000

The sad part is that the wrong people were let go. Blame for the demise of the UT franchise falls squarely on the shoulders of upper mangement who were too concerned with maintaining status quo and personal quality of work life and did not pay attention or have the business acquemen to make the correct business decisions.

The paper has know for over 10 years that the days of a printed paper were numbered. In stead of embracing the digital world by listening to those who truly understood the medium, they took advice from a few internal no nothings who, again, were more interested in personal job secuitry a
than making the right decisions.

They has a shot at success and leadership spot in the newspaper industry and simpy blew it out of ingnorance and greed. The ones that should be fired are still there!

By: Jake

Jake — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:03:53 +0000

Ron,
My employer made an extended effort to make reforms in our business plans from the bottom up. Employees were rewarded for cutting costs and making quality improvements in the services we delivered. This required buy in from the board of directors.
Does the news industry encourage employees to take a role in systemic improvements of their industry? Are there really no role models? I often see best practices at other newspapers and their web sites, but don’t know which ones have a financial payoff for employees and their companies.

By: Ron Ham

Ron Ham — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:35:27 +0000

I worked in U-T newsrooms for 21 years before I retired, and hearing that all these hard-working, knowledgeable, civic-minded journalists were being fired nearly made me cry. They are not faceless members of the media but real people who now must try to get a job in an era that’s turning its back on them.

My brother, a city editor on another newspaper, fears for the future of America because one of its foundations is being gutted. I am more optimistic but I’m not sure if news Web sites can take up the slack; does anyone know?

My prayers and best wishes to all the U-T staffers who are losing their jobs through no fault of their own — and who are losing opportunities to make this a better country.

By: David Butler

David Butler — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:46:39 +0000

The whole business is next to go. The bigs guys will fall too. Even further.

By: David Butler

David Butler — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:45:23 +0000

Check the price of paper lately? Twenty years ago it was almost as big an overhead as payroll. Time to reformat and go digital. Papers have always made their $ from ads. Why should that change?

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:35:28 +0000

Winner must be counting her days as editor. Kittle said on KPBS this morning that the paper is expanding online but can’t figure out how to make money in that venue? He feels newspapers are the “best value” readers have for news, because advertisers underwrite the paper. If that’s management’s perspective at the UT it’s no wonder they continue to fall behind.

By: SomeReader

SomeReader — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:19:55 +0000

Interesting that none of the editors in glass offices took a hit. I guess sitting in meetings all day provides a valuable service to readers.

By: Jacinto Ortega

Jacinto Ortega — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:07:52 +0000

No editor with any common sense would keep Burl Stiff. Or Bowtie Kittle either. The UT laid off 7 janitors yesterday, which means maybe Stiff and Kittle wisely will be reassigned to custodial work.

Seriously, why did the UT need to employ 7 janitors?

The UT reported yesterday that after 192 staff are laid off, about 850 will remain. That means it now takes about 1,042 workers to publish that flimsy newspaper. I’m starting to suspect that the UT has too many unproductive workers and that those layoffs are merited.

It’s not the quantity of workers but the quality of their work that matters. Let’s see if the UT stops publishing a lot of drivel and focuses more on worthy news.

By: J Lamb

J Lamb — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:36:50 +0000

Could the rumor I heard be true as well? Was Burl Stiff given the heave-ho? Oh my, what will high society do now for its craven publicity? Oh well, off I go for my morning constitution of a Startini followed by hors d’oeuvres of goat cheese with basil and tear-drop tomatoes, a chicken and herb roulade with tomato aioli, and Belgian endive with salmon mousse, a salad of arugula, sliced strawberries, figs, candied walnuts and shaved asiago in a sherry-shallot vinaigrette, followed by a main course of petite filet mignon and a Maryland lump crab cake with a cracked peppercorn hollandaise. *Sigh*

By: SuzyQ

SuzyQ — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:45:44 +0000

What I want to know is when will the tools responsible for the demise of paper get laid off. You have a circulation director who for numerous years has seen circulation drop – yet he gets promoted to executive and VP. Then you have another tool responsible for advertising who has seen revenue drop for years – yet he too keeps getting promoted. Let’s see what else. Oh! You have an intern who was still wet behind the ears become marketing director without the qualifications. I can go on and on….This company is so badly mismanaged it’s almost comical. Kenneth Lay of Enron would have done a better job…to bad he’s not looking for a job anymore.

By: SuzyQ

SuzyQ — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:44:30 +0000

By: Bradley J. Fikes

Bradley J. Fikes — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:42:59 +0000

Condolences for all those who lost their jobs, especially in this economy.

The business and North County sections, which I pay most attention to, lost some especially good people. Some lucky company, inside or outside journalism, will benefit from hiring them.