Comments on: Tribune considers design, copy editing functions to be ‘manufacturing’

By: BJ

BJ — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:03:28 +0000

As a former newspaper copy editor (I left newspapers, including a now-Tribune-owned paper, two years ago), I cannot wait for newspaper owners to learn what I predict will be very expensive lessons. Without copy editors, every day will be a financial opportunity for people wronged in print by unknowing reporters and line editors who will soon be entrusted to get the stories \clean enough to publish.\ I can’t tell you how many times I caught in stories people being arrested \for murdering\ someone, versus, of course, being arrested \on suspicion\ of murder. It was \interesting\ trying to explain to reporters and line editors the very important difference. So, now they are supposed to be the gatekeepers? Ha! I can just see defendants and their lawyers lining up to file lawsuits. Why newspaper owners and editors think they can put out quality papers without copy editors is beyond me. Most reporters are conscientious and take pride in their work, but there are, sadly, too many who think NOTHING of spelling and grammar mistakes. And let’s not enough talk about the facts. The few crappy reporters and line editors will continue to be crappy. The difference? The copy desk won’t be there or will not have enough time to save their asses.

By: SND Chicago

SND Chicago — Sat, 09 May 2009 04:36:28 +0000

Darkly ironic that SND is holding a showcase design meetup at the Chicago Tribune next weekend. Twitter #SNDChicago to see more.

SND, it appears, prefers to change the subject because this ‘event’ will not include a discussion of this plan to cheapen visual journalism at Tribune newspapers.

Shouldn’t SND instead be taking a hard and very public stand against this company’s effort in this area to replace design and copy editing with poorly-conceived ‘modules?’

I am glad that the SND brass is responding in this thread but they need to explain to dues-paying members why SND as a global voice is not rallying against this company practice and why as SND officers they are enabling this plan from within and also supporting the Tribune company by letting it avoid a discussion and honest examination of this new scheme at their May 16 event at the Chicago Tribune.

By: Gail

Gail — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:24:17 +0000

While doing laundry earlier this week (because that’s what laid-off journalist housewives do), I came across one of my son’s favorite towels. It’s a beach towel that I got in j-school at the University of Florida for helping to organize a new-media convention sponsored by the state’s biggest newspapers … in 1984.

Newspapers knew this day was coming back when legwarmers were cool but had their heads in the sand (or up their butts), ignoring the scary “emerging technology” that they couldn’t immediately monetize. To quote my favorite philosopher: “I’m a caveman. Your modern ways frighten and confuse me.”

No amount of nooz you can use or gigantic headlines or cool graphics are going to make people return to newspapers. People in their 20s and 30s never got into the habit of reading papers and never will. I once had a grocery store bag boy ask me where coupons came from.

So where is the future? It’s not on paper. It’s not on a big ol’ fugly Kindle. It might be on our phones and handheld devices for short-form breaking news and definitely on the Web for everything else. And designers should put their talents toward figuring out ways to make media Web pages better looking and more functional. (I know, I know, try explaining that to the online side, whose only concern is getting more photo galleries of “hot celebrity moms” on the homepage.)

Bottom line: The wrong people are in charge of everything (sweeping, eh?).

By: 633 N. Orange

633 N. Orange — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:40:56 +0000

Joe, unlike Charles, my heart does not go out to you or Bonita or other managers, mostly because you still get paychecks and can pay your bills, which should go a long way toward easing your sadness. The people you laid off in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression are going to have trouble with that (from our newsroom, I am heartbroken about the people Bonita laid off who have young kids or a kid on the way).

All of us recognize that the industry is changing and painful choices have to be made. It’s simply infuriating that the painful choices must be so extreme in part because of the debt burden and other poor Tribune decisions.

Despite our fancy, ill-advised and ill-timed new paint job (metaphorical whitewashing of the bloodbath?), morale in Orlando’s newsroom is abysmal, and I can only imagine it’s the same at the other T6 papers.

Good point about the $13 million in bonuses, Tribune person. Will the names of the people receiving those bonuses show up in bankruptcy papers? As fellow employee-owners, we should know their names and the amounts of their bonuses.