Layoffs at the (New York) Daily News (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Capital New York ^ | November 4, 2011 | Joe Pompeo

[abb]

Layoffs have come to the Daily News.

Since this morning, staffers to be laid off have been getting called into a conference room to meet with senior vice president of human-resources Jeff Zomper. They're being told the layoffs are part of a "downsizing" operation at the paper. The layoffs aren't yet complete, (The New York Observer and the New York Post are putting the total number at 10); we've confirmed the names of a few of those who've been laid off so far.

Bob Kappstatter, a 43-year veteran of the paper who just turned 68, was one of them.

"It's been a great ride, I've loved this paper; it's been the best job in the world," Kappstatter, whose most recent title was Deputy Police Bureau Chief, told Capital. "I've seen and done things I never would have done anywhere else. I look forward to staying in the business. I'm available!"

Other victims of the downsizing are long-time political reporter Frank Lombardi; federal courts reporter Scott Shifrel; City Hall reporter Kate Lucadamo; and long-time staff photographer John Roca.

Asked about the layoffs, spokesperson Jennifer Mauer would only say, "we don't comment on personnel matters."

The News is in the throes of some internal tumult. Managing editor and tabloid veteran Stuart Marques was reportedly pushed out Oct. 14, though not all reports seemed sure that he didn't quit.

The managing photo editor also resigned this week and will leave the paper at the end of the month, as Capital first reported last night.

Last week editor in chief Kevin Convey brought the managing editors into a meeting telling them he was restructuring the top of the masthead, according to the New York Post's Keith Kelly.

They would name three new managing editors: One editor from the digital side, one "senior editor of convergence," who is working on integrating the digital and print newsrooms, and a third who'd been Senior Executive Editor.

This replaced a structure in which seven managing editors, each with their own departments, reported to Convey.

Kelly also reported that the M.E.'s appealed to chief executive William Holliber about the changes.

Another change: Arthur Brown's jump from the editorial pages to the No. 2 position at the paper, under Convey.

Convey is rumored to be under the gun. But during an online chat with readers last week, he put a positive spin on all the change at the paper.

"We're in the midst of a reorganization right now to bring the print and web staffs together for the first time, make the company digital first, and make all of our content platform-agnostic," he said. "We're always looking for ways to get better."

The staff reductions come at the end of a week that started off on a high note for the News. Data released Tuesday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations showed that the paper had moved up the auditor's rankings to become the No. 4 top-selling daily in the U.S.

[abb]

Saturday morning good news.

[abb]

ping

[ronnie raygun]

If you don't have a job you have no money to by a newspaper especially a paper that sides with the ones who are killing jobs

[abb]

http://wweek.com/portland/blog-27818-print.html
The Oregonian Axes More Employees in Second Round of Layoffs This Year

http://www2.tbo.com/business/business/2011/nov/03/spbizo1-leadership-changes-announced-at-tribune-an-ar-300250/
Leadership changes announced at Tribune and WFLA-TV

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/new_company_mlive_media_group.html
New company, MLive Media Group, formed to carry Booth Newspapers and MLive.com into next era of news media

http://www.newsandtech.com/dateline/article_2d54d6e6-03f8-11e1-86b0-001cc4c03286.html
Cox putting editing in Ohio, Fla.

http://apple.copydesk.org/2011/11/04/confirmed-landmark-papers-including-the-virginian-pilot-will-likely-be-split-up-and-sold/
Confirmed: Landmark papers — including the Virginian-Pilot — will likely be split up and sold

[abb]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Washington-Post-reports-3Q-apf-2410468690.html?x=0&.v=2
Washington Post reports 3Q loss, lower revenue

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577017733545518436.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs
Washington Post Swings to Loss

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-04/washington-post-has-third-quarter-loss-on-education-newspaper-declines.html?cmpid=yhoo
Washington Post Has Third-Quarter Loss on Education, Newspaper Declines

http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2011/11/04/washington-post-the-latest-example-of-print-ad-plunge/?rpc=43
Washington Post: the latest example of print ad plunge

[iowamark]

Say, Mort Zuckerman, how is that imaginary speech-writing for Obama going?

[abb]

[jocon307]

“I look forward to staying in the business. I’m available!”

Good attitude.

Good luck to this man, at 68 I hope he CAN afford to stop working, but if he wants to keep on, more power to him.

[onyx]

[onyx]

^5

[DeaconRed]

BOO F-ING HOOO

[abb]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/washington-post-co-posts-62m-loss-in-third-quarter/2011/11/04/gIQA7S7glM_story.html
Washington Post Co. posts $6.2 million loss in third quarter

http://blogs.wpri.com/2011/11/03/full-projo-paywall-set-for-2012-as-advertising-sales-slump-11/
Full Projo paywall set for 2012 as advertising sales slump 11%

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/161834/wapo-revenues-dip-again.html
WaPo Revenues Dip Again

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2011/11/03/cainaquiddick_where_source_based_journalism_goes_to_die.html
Cainaquiddick: Where Source-Based Journalism Goes to Die

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/476223-Kerry_to_Colleagues_Don_t_Nullify_Net_Neutrality.php
Kerry to Colleagues: Don’t Nullify Net Neutrality
Says nullifying rule would discourage investment, put at risk heath, safety rules

[Darkwolf377]

I see Occupy Wall Street’s ranks will be growing by ten today.

[abb]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/washington-post-co-posts-62m-loss-in-third-quarter/2011/11/04/gIQA7S7glM_story.html
Washington Post Co. posts $6.2 million loss in third quarter

[sirchtruth]

The same thing is happening to the newspaper industry as the candle making industry. Electricity and Light bulb came along and ZAP! The printed newspaper will not totally vanish, but when you can look at every single newspaper in the world on your I Tablet, whats the point?

For the newspapers who are still stubbornly persisting to hang on to print and not gradually move their advertisers to online, they will painfully die an agonizing death in the near future.

The good thing about being a reporter who gets let go is these people can always write their garbage on blogs and then let's see how far they get with their tripe! ;-)

[wintertime]

Since this morning, staffers to be laid off have been getting called into a conference room
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

So?....When is the New York Times finally going to die?

[MrEdd]

Each employee was given a cardboard sign, a box of markers, a cheap sleeping bag, and a tent emblazoned with “Occupy Wallstreet” as a severance package...

[angcat]

GOOD! I hate the vile liberal rag.

[Mr. K]

I wonder if they ever thought abou telling the truth?

Maybe people would want to buy that instead of smelly excrement

[sirchtruth]

"We're in the midst of a reorganization right now to bring the print and web staffs together for the first time, make the company digital first, and make all of our content platform-agnostic," he said. "We're always looking for ways to get better."

I didn't see this at first glance, but they are recognizing what's going on and starting to make the change.

"Platform-agnostic", that's a strange way to put it?

[Darkwolf377]

FYI, some OWS type is now sending me FReepmails, barely coherent, about the evil 1% based on my comment on this thread. We’ve been infiltrated!

[abb]

I got one too. He/she signed up this morning. A likely candidate for zotting, doncha think?

[Shady]

It is a total Bamster political organ, Mike Lupica needs to retire and go to the home. The Cain Caning in the Gnu Yak Daily Gnus is repulsive.

[abb]

TPS Boston is the username I got

[DH]

The layoff of 10 people isn’t really any kind of major national news but the warm fuzzy feeling I get from hearing that these uber-liberals have pooped and fallen back into it makes my day.

Now, they can have their 99 weeks of unemployment and then move to welfare. Ain’t life a bitch?

[MrEdd]

Settings to “sporkweasel”...

[Darkwolf377]

Oh, goodie, I’m in a club!

Where’s darkwing, he does good zot...

[Darkwolf377]

"Occupy Boston has no power. If the Tea Party had their way they’d torture everyone involed in Occupy Boston."

From TPS Boston in my mailbox.

They do have bizarre persecution complexes, don't they?

[Covenantor]

Is that the same crap I just got from TPS Boston?

Who do we report this to?

[Darkwolf377]

I’m just ignoring him. Poor thing, he’s too cold to go out and occupy, I guess.

[Dem Guard]

How is that recovery working out for them? ;-)

[Dem Guard]

"Platform-agnostic", that's a strange way to put it?

Sounds like the Unitarian Church. ;-)

[Zakeet]

Looks like we need to start the salons back up, don't we?

Say, if you're not doing anything else this weekend, and LSU football doesn't count among us libtard elites, then why not shell out a quarter of a mill on some media influence.

Or, you and a few of your buddies could take out a $50,000 perpetual indenture and buy your GED.

MeeMaw would like that.:)

s/ Katharine

[Covenantor]

Any way back to the thread, well a side bar sort of thing.

Back in the early seventies when all the radical bombings were happening in mid-town NYC, there were many times our design office worked very late. A few of us single guys would retire to a hole in the wall bar across the street from the back of the NY Daily News building. Got chances to talk to some old time reporters before the sainted coming of "The Journalists" and PC. The old timers did real reporting of local government and crime beats and had great stories.

The quality of reporting was going downhill well before the advent of the interwebs.

Historic trivia-photo of The New York Daily News Building lobby.

Always thought it was the inspiration for "Superman Comics" Daily Planet, but Wiki says no.

[sauropod]

What about Mike Daly?

Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

[sauropod]

I got several from one person - somebody named TPS Boston

[sauropod]

I pointed it out to the Admin Mod.

Haven’t got one in a while now.

[abb]

2 1/2 years ago I started my own newsblog and began doing real reporting. I cover city council, county commission, court cases, school board, etc. I’ve really enjoyed it.

I get to be around real “journalists” and compete with them heads up on the quality of reporting. They can say it is a “profession” all they want, but all that’s needed to do it well is the ability to listen, take legible notes and write a coherent sentence.

It ain’t rocket science.

[sauropod]

Woot Woot! Just got a new one:

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Former Wash. Post editor discusses Cain sexual harassment story
From TPS Boston | 11/05/2011 4:56:45 AM PDT new

You are brainwahsed by the POS crap Tea Party.

[abb]

The WashingtonPost Co.’s newspaper division continued to struggle. Print advertising revenue in the third quarter slid to $57.6 million, 20 percent lower than in the year-ago period. For the year, print ad revenue is down 13 percent. Classified, zoned and general advertising revenue all fell.

[abb]

The Post’s daily circulation declined 5.4 percent in the first nine months of 2011 compared with the same period last year, and Sunday circulation dropped 4.4 percent.

[Darkwolf377]

I guess cartoons came on, cuz they stopped.

[Darkwolf377]

Those were the days when reporters were thrilled with the kind of detective work that goes with the story. In the post-Watergate era it seems most people get into journalism merely as a way to break a big scandal so they can then go on TV and pontificate. They also crave op-ed positions, where they get to tell people what they think (and what the people SHOULD think).

So reporting isn’t a job, a duty in itself, it’s a mere stepping stone to becoming a personality. They’re so eager for that kind of success, which is so rare, they just start editorializing and pushing their views in ‘news’ stories now.

[Covenantor]

It ain't rocket science.

Ain't that the truth! I doubt most of the old reporters had a degree of any sort, much less one in "Journalism". Wonder when the first Journalism school was established and who funded it.

[LRoggy]

Is it too much to hope that Mike Lupica would be one of them?

[abb]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_school

History

The first program for journalism education was introduced by former Confederate General, Robert E. Lee,[1] during his presidency at Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Virginia, in the 1860s.[2] Both the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri founded by Walter Williams in 1908[3] and the Ecole Superieure de Journalisme in Paris, France founded in 1899[4] claim to be the worlds first journalism school. Although Paris’s school opened its doors in 1899 after three years of internal debates, the question was discussed in Missouri since 1895. Since then the journalism school has become standard at most major universities.[citation needed]

[Covenantor]

Willing to bet that damn few of them ever heard of Kipling’s five friends, which was taught to me in my Jr high school civics class.

And as Andy Rooney (RIP) might have asked, “What happened to all the Jr highs any way? And where did this middle school thing come from? Too damned British if you ask me.”

[Zakeet]

The Post’s daily circulation declined 5.4 percent in the first nine months of 2011 compared with the same period last year, and Sunday circulation dropped 4.4 percent.

So that's why they've lost more than half of their market value in the past five years!

[Zakeet]

[Covenantor]

Thanks for that surprising bit of history. I had tagged it a something to research myself, but once again Freepers prove to be amazing.

Thanks very much.