Newspaper to reduce work forceI've always questioned a business model that called - in part - for giving a valuable product away free, as the Times does with its internet offering of the daily news. And I've always found the notion that "page hits" being tied in any way to ad revenue to be a highly dubious proposition. Advertisers are apparently coming to that same surmise.
Reductions could total about 10 percent of the newspaper's workers.
By Jenny Kincaid Boone, The Roanoke Times
The publisher of The Roanoke Times said Friday that the news organization will offer voluntary retirement incentives to 21 employees, and she said more jobs may be eliminated in the future.
"Like the media industry as a whole, we're taking steps to reinvent our company to remain relevant to our existing customers and to seek out new customers in new markets," said Debbie Meade, president and publisher, in an e-mail announcement to employees. "We're dealing with business conditions unprecedented in our long history."
Advertising revenue at The Roanoke Times, similar to newspapers across the country, has declined. It's mainly because of competition from other media sources, such as the Internet, said Nan Mahone, promotions and community relations manager at The Roanoke Times. (link)
Many of you are eagerly anticipating the news that this is going to affect the editorial department. If early retirement is the only mechanism that needs to be employed in order for the Times to survive, you're to be disappointed. Having met everyone on the staff, I can safely report, knowing that few of the fine writers there are even old enough to drink, none of them are eligible for the early buyout.
Shucks is right.
Too bad too. While the editorialists are boneheads, the reporting at the Times is, in my estimation, top notch. Those bringing us the local news, it seems, are the ones who will be affected by this reduction in staff. Speaking from experience, lots of experience, in such circumstances, it's always those least deserving of punishment that get the axe.
This makes me want to go out and buy an annual subscription, just to help out. If only the Roanoke Times delivered and I didn't have to drive over to the Citgo to get a copy ...
2 comments:
Keep in mind that they are at the tender mercies of a baby murderer. I think they're searching for the ones with 38 years of service or otherwise subject to their whims.
I was going to make reference to the publisher being on the board of Planned Parenthood and therefore having plenty of experience with aborting people, but it seemed less than appropriate under the circumstances.
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