First, the media layoffs, then comes the humiliation
November 19, 2008 at 5:15 pm by Wayne GarciaFrom bad to worse in the ol’ Journalism Biz:
These are horrible, scary times in most newsrooms, with recurring rumors of cutbacks and open speculation about the future of the business and journalism. Newsroom morale, chronically bad in most places, is even worse these days–if that’s possible. Fear and loathing is at a record pitch.
So there’s no excuse for management to add insult to injury by humiliating staff members. Nonetheless, there are a couple of ugly examples today of exactly that happening:
- At the Newark Star-Ledger, two newsroom veterans have been reassigned to the mailroom.
- At the Longmont, Col., Times-Call, staffers have been invited to work as parking valets at the publisher’s holiday party–albeit at full pay. How generous.
And this is on the heels of the Raleigh News & Observer’s silly two-slice limit on election night pizza. (Yeah, it was called off. But the morale-killing damage was already done.)
A two-piece limit on pizza?!? How bad can things get? Stay tuned.
