Many of them are still overpaid based on the last few DMN articles I have read. I wonder how much they could save by firing Steve Blow…
@ 10:26 am on April 2, 2009
John M – That’s a huge over generalization. This is EVERYONE at A. H. Belo, not just overpaid writers and staff and DMN.
@ 10:38 am on April 2, 2009
What is wrong with you two? John M and ep, you’re going to dance on writers’ graves? How ugly. People are hurting. Let’s be decent. I have to seriously question how you two were raised.
@ 10:43 am on April 2, 2009
what: I think ep was on your side there
@ 10:46 am on April 2, 2009
Ok, journalists. What advice would you give to a college journalism student right now?
@ 10:49 am on April 2, 2009
You’d think the genius-laden management team would be trying get busy making money instead of cutting costs, unless, of course, the paper is about to be put up for sale or the heirs want to buy up the rest of the stock and return to the glory days of making their millions in secret. The way they are treating their loyal employees is shameful.
@ 10:49 am on April 2, 2009
Thanks Eric, that’s exactly what I was saying.
@ 10:52 am on April 2, 2009
@ towski
One word: “plastic”
@ 10:53 am on April 2, 2009
Towsk:
As someone who works at the DMN, my first recommendation is double major. If you love journalism, and want to do it, by all means, give it a go, but give yourself a back-up plan.
Secondly, make yourself as diverse as possible, especially in the Web-realm. Don’t just focus on the written word, whether it be printed or digital, but also on audio and video reporting for the Web and the techniques behind publishing all of those to the Web.
@ 10:54 am on April 2, 2009
Towsk:
As someone who has spent nearly half of my life at the DMN I would encourage you to pursue journalism. It will survive in some form and is a rewarding vocation although not lucrative in a financial sense. You will see your school peers make more dough with less brains than you but the chance to serve a community is an honorable one. As John suggests, you should cover all your bases by expanding your skill set but as one facing yet another layoff and diminished income I have no regrets.
@ 11:00 am on April 2, 2009
@what
I’m not dancing on writers graves. I don’t wish anyone to lose a job but I think the “journalism” of the DMN often does a disservice to the citizens of Dallas because of it’s poor quality and don’t believe a poor quality product should be propped up just because people would lose their jobs if it wasn’t.
@ 11:00 am on April 2, 2009
@towski I was invited to speak at a student journalism class at SMU last week.
I told them that if they have a passion for journalism, then they should not be deterred. The journalism needs smart people, whether they are employed by an ink-on-print newspaper, a city magazine, an alt-weekly or a Web site like Pegasus News.
But I also told the students that they — and we practicing journalists — need to realize that the days of career and financial stability are gone. And if they don’t want to operate under those conditions, then they need to consider another career path before they become too deeply invested in journalism.
Was that fair advice?
@ 11:03 am on April 2, 2009
Serves me right for accepting their offer for 26,500 a year.
@ 11:09 am on April 2, 2009
Sorry, wasn’t asking for me. I’m firmly ensconsed in the already less than lucarative non-profit world. I was just asking in general. But good information, everyone…
@ 11:13 am on April 2, 2009
@Reese – Frankly, I can’t think of any industry right now in which they might be able to find said ‘career or financial stability.’
Regardless, I would tell them to double major in business & journalism, but get a job in marketing where they can make a decent living and put their writing skills to use. While many can snag a job in marketing, very few actually know how to write or communicate effectively. Being a journalism major in that setting is sexy, and rare. That is the greatest form of job security one can have.
And if you miss your passion for writing, don’t think you have to get paid to validate your talent. Start a blog, freelance on the side, write a book about your crappy marketing job… but whatever you do, the bills are paid.
@ 11:16 am on April 2, 2009
@John M:
Let’s start by pointing out your grammatical wrongdoings in that far-too-long sentence you used to tell others how bad they are at journalism. You should’ve used “its” not “it’s.” Come on. It’s not hard to understand that.
Second, what’s with the vague criticism of the DMN? At least the writers on FrontBurner discuss specific problems they have with the paper’s work. Let’s hear some specifics from you.
And people shouldn’t prop up the DMN? As a citizen who cares about journalism and knowing what’s happening in the community around me, I’d prop up my local newspaper with everything I have. Without the newspaper, we’d all be as uninformed as, well, you.
@ 11:20 am on April 2, 2009
John M: Propped up? Propped up by what? By a bank loan that will go sour if the paper doesn’t meet nearly-impossible cash flow targets? By a family that cares deeply for the newspaper and the city, and won’t simply shut down and sell off the real estate? By investors who refuse to sell low? What exactly is propping this company up?
Now if you personally don’t like the product, you can get your news from television and thinly-sourced blogs. That’s your choice. Me, I like the local investigative reporting I get in my newspaper.
@ 11:22 am on April 2, 2009
@towski: Change your major. And/or come up with a way to assign a value to news and information that is distributed electronically.
@ 11:25 am on April 2, 2009
Twice this week I have sat across a table from DMN editorial board editor/writers I consider both personal and professional friends. People with careers they love and families they cherish. And mortgages and car payments and kids in school and college bills and IRS bills. And they’re battle scarred and scared. But then circa 2009, who isn’t? After enough shoes drop, you begin to feel like an irregular Nike wholesaler.
As my mother told me just before she died: “The bad news– is the good times never last. The good news? The bad ones don’t either”. I’ll drink to that.
@ 11:25 am on April 2, 2009
To those inside that Hellhole media company.
Get ready for the slaughterhouse.
@ 11:44 am on April 2, 2009
Yes, Robert Decherd took a 20 percent pay cut. After more than doubling his salary a few months ago.
@ 11:53 am on April 2, 2009
Sounds like the news paper industry and the auto industry have some things in common.
@ 11:54 am on April 2, 2009
If I was at DMN making $150,000, I would be begging for a $1 reduction in pay right now. The guy making $148,000 will now be making more than the guy making $152,000. That should make for some fun times.
@ 11:57 am on April 2, 2009
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Where do you work? Perhaps we all have some opinions to share with you. Have some decency!
@ 11:58 am on April 2, 2009
Get out now, should I say, “Quick,” before they put you on this new beat on the Local News team.
@ 12:24 pm on April 2, 2009
@Investor: so which one makes it out alive, GM or the DMN?
Sadly, I’m serious…
@ 12:34 pm on April 2, 2009
Yup, my wife works there as well and she was included in the reductions. On top of that, she will have to start paying to park on her company’s lot. They also quit subsidizing the food in the company cafeteria, and they made every employee re-verify eligibility for their family’s health benefits. They are under-staffed because of the layoffs, so they have to pick up the slack for their departed associates (by working more hours), and the stress level is unbelievable.
One part of me is thankful she still has a job, but another is wondering how much longer she (or any Belo employee) can keep it.
And I am sure Decherd’s salary reduction will be offset by a handsome bonus for taking action to save the company money.
@ 12:56 pm on April 2, 2009
@trey: underrated
@ 1:03 pm on April 2, 2009
@Dame
The DMN and Startlegram will eventually merge with inserts for different areas served.
Many believe that GM will restructure with Chevrolet and Cadillac surviving the carnage.
WHO REALLY KNOWS!
When I first started in this business, afternoon dailies were disappearing and stories abounded of a glut of j-school grads driving taxis. Except for maybe a few years in the mid-1980s, there has never been a good time to be a journalist — if all you’re looking for is a steady paycheck and job security. If your passion is to dig out scoops or to write a narrative that will blow people away, trust where that passion takes you. That said, if I’m majoring in journalism today, I’d do what many British journalists do: Learn a second language. I think learning Spanish (or Chinese for that matter) gives any grad, J-school or not, a huge edge.
@ 2:03 pm on April 2, 2009
It’s a scam at the DMN. Nobody’s going broke except the workers.
@ 2:15 pm on April 2, 2009
I’m with Mike, above. I hope they plan to apply that reduction “progressively,” as it were. Else the employee formerly making $74,999 will now be making $73,124, while the employee formerly making $75,000 will now be making $71,250.
@ 2:20 am on April 3, 2009
@Robb — Thanks for bringing up the point about the amount of stress layoff survivors are under. Layoffs at the Denton Record-Chronicle, the numbers of which are missing in every report on A.H.’s cuts I’ve seen (4 were axed from the newsroom) took one from the copy desk a week before the copy chief was scheduled to go on maternity leave. Now with the pay cuts, the unreasonable amount of overtime necessary is viewed as a perk by those above.
My heart goes out those who’ll leave the DMN for the last time today and tomorrow, but also to those who’ll be staying at work after hours to pick up the slack — not to perfect heartfelt projects, but to churn out copy and make deadline under lower standards.
@ 12:47 pm on April 6, 2009
FrontBurner® launched in March 2003, the first blog in Dallas run by a media organization. This is where the editors of D Magazine come to waste a tremendous amount of time.
34 comments
Many of them are still overpaid based on the last few DMN articles I have read. I wonder how much they could save by firing Steve Blow…
John M – That’s a huge over generalization. This is EVERYONE at A. H. Belo, not just overpaid writers and staff and DMN.
What is wrong with you two? John M and ep, you’re going to dance on writers’ graves? How ugly. People are hurting. Let’s be decent. I have to seriously question how you two were raised.
what: I think ep was on your side there
Ok, journalists. What advice would you give to a college journalism student right now?
You’d think the genius-laden management team would be trying get busy making money instead of cutting costs, unless, of course, the paper is about to be put up for sale or the heirs want to buy up the rest of the stock and return to the glory days of making their millions in secret. The way they are treating their loyal employees is shameful.
Thanks Eric, that’s exactly what I was saying.
@ towski
One word: “plastic”
Towsk:
As someone who works at the DMN, my first recommendation is double major. If you love journalism, and want to do it, by all means, give it a go, but give yourself a back-up plan.
Secondly, make yourself as diverse as possible, especially in the Web-realm. Don’t just focus on the written word, whether it be printed or digital, but also on audio and video reporting for the Web and the techniques behind publishing all of those to the Web.
Towsk:
As someone who has spent nearly half of my life at the DMN I would encourage you to pursue journalism. It will survive in some form and is a rewarding vocation although not lucrative in a financial sense. You will see your school peers make more dough with less brains than you but the chance to serve a community is an honorable one. As John suggests, you should cover all your bases by expanding your skill set but as one facing yet another layoff and diminished income I have no regrets.
@what
I’m not dancing on writers graves. I don’t wish anyone to lose a job but I think the “journalism” of the DMN often does a disservice to the citizens of Dallas because of it’s poor quality and don’t believe a poor quality product should be propped up just because people would lose their jobs if it wasn’t.
@towski I was invited to speak at a student journalism class at SMU last week.
I told them that if they have a passion for journalism, then they should not be deterred. The journalism needs smart people, whether they are employed by an ink-on-print newspaper, a city magazine, an alt-weekly or a Web site like Pegasus News.
But I also told the students that they — and we practicing journalists — need to realize that the days of career and financial stability are gone. And if they don’t want to operate under those conditions, then they need to consider another career path before they become too deeply invested in journalism.
Was that fair advice?
Serves me right for accepting their offer for 26,500 a year.
Sorry, wasn’t asking for me. I’m firmly ensconsed in the already less than lucarative non-profit world. I was just asking in general. But good information, everyone…
@Reese – Frankly, I can’t think of any industry right now in which they might be able to find said ‘career or financial stability.’
Regardless, I would tell them to double major in business & journalism, but get a job in marketing where they can make a decent living and put their writing skills to use. While many can snag a job in marketing, very few actually know how to write or communicate effectively. Being a journalism major in that setting is sexy, and rare. That is the greatest form of job security one can have.
And if you miss your passion for writing, don’t think you have to get paid to validate your talent. Start a blog, freelance on the side, write a book about your crappy marketing job… but whatever you do, the bills are paid.
@John M:
Let’s start by pointing out your grammatical wrongdoings in that far-too-long sentence you used to tell others how bad they are at journalism. You should’ve used “its” not “it’s.” Come on. It’s not hard to understand that.
Second, what’s with the vague criticism of the DMN? At least the writers on FrontBurner discuss specific problems they have with the paper’s work. Let’s hear some specifics from you.
And people shouldn’t prop up the DMN? As a citizen who cares about journalism and knowing what’s happening in the community around me, I’d prop up my local newspaper with everything I have. Without the newspaper, we’d all be as uninformed as, well, you.
John M: Propped up? Propped up by what? By a bank loan that will go sour if the paper doesn’t meet nearly-impossible cash flow targets? By a family that cares deeply for the newspaper and the city, and won’t simply shut down and sell off the real estate? By investors who refuse to sell low? What exactly is propping this company up?
Now if you personally don’t like the product, you can get your news from television and thinly-sourced blogs. That’s your choice. Me, I like the local investigative reporting I get in my newspaper.
@towski: Change your major. And/or come up with a way to assign a value to news and information that is distributed electronically.
Twice this week I have sat across a table from DMN editorial board editor/writers I consider both personal and professional friends. People with careers they love and families they cherish. And mortgages and car payments and kids in school and college bills and IRS bills. And they’re battle scarred and scared. But then circa 2009, who isn’t? After enough shoes drop, you begin to feel like an irregular Nike wholesaler.
As my mother told me just before she died: “The bad news– is the good times never last. The good news? The bad ones don’t either”. I’ll drink to that.
To those inside that Hellhole media company.
Get ready for the slaughterhouse.
Yes, Robert Decherd took a 20 percent pay cut. After more than doubling his salary a few months ago.
Sounds like the news paper industry and the auto industry have some things in common.
If I was at DMN making $150,000, I would be begging for a $1 reduction in pay right now. The guy making $148,000 will now be making more than the guy making $152,000. That should make for some fun times.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Where do you work? Perhaps we all have some opinions to share with you. Have some decency!
Get out now, should I say, “Quick,” before they put you on this new beat on the Local News team.
@Investor: so which one makes it out alive, GM or the DMN?
Sadly, I’m serious…
Yup, my wife works there as well and she was included in the reductions. On top of that, she will have to start paying to park on her company’s lot. They also quit subsidizing the food in the company cafeteria, and they made every employee re-verify eligibility for their family’s health benefits. They are under-staffed because of the layoffs, so they have to pick up the slack for their departed associates (by working more hours), and the stress level is unbelievable.
One part of me is thankful she still has a job, but another is wondering how much longer she (or any Belo employee) can keep it.
And I am sure Decherd’s salary reduction will be offset by a handsome bonus for taking action to save the company money.
@trey: underrated
@Dame
The DMN and Startlegram will eventually merge with inserts for different areas served.
Many believe that GM will restructure with Chevrolet and Cadillac surviving the carnage.
WHO REALLY KNOWS!
Layoffs coming, the meat hooks are ready for the bodies: http://dmncuts.blogspot.com/
Get the hell out of their folks!
When I first started in this business, afternoon dailies were disappearing and stories abounded of a glut of j-school grads driving taxis. Except for maybe a few years in the mid-1980s, there has never been a good time to be a journalist — if all you’re looking for is a steady paycheck and job security. If your passion is to dig out scoops or to write a narrative that will blow people away, trust where that passion takes you. That said, if I’m majoring in journalism today, I’d do what many British journalists do: Learn a second language. I think learning Spanish (or Chinese for that matter) gives any grad, J-school or not, a huge edge.
It’s a scam at the DMN. Nobody’s going broke except the workers.
I’m with Mike, above. I hope they plan to apply that reduction “progressively,” as it were. Else the employee formerly making $74,999 will now be making $73,124, while the employee formerly making $75,000 will now be making $71,250.
@Robb — Thanks for bringing up the point about the amount of stress layoff survivors are under. Layoffs at the Denton Record-Chronicle, the numbers of which are missing in every report on A.H.’s cuts I’ve seen (4 were axed from the newsroom) took one from the copy desk a week before the copy chief was scheduled to go on maternity leave. Now with the pay cuts, the unreasonable amount of overtime necessary is viewed as a perk by those above.
My heart goes out those who’ll leave the DMN for the last time today and tomorrow, but also to those who’ll be staying at work after hours to pick up the slack — not to perfect heartfelt projects, but to churn out copy and make deadline under lower standards.