"I am crestfallen and angry, but also exhilarated."
-- Matt Davies, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Gannett laid off last week at The Journal News in Westchester, N.Y. Davies is quoted today by The Washington Post, which also notes that two-time Pulitzer finalist Marshall Ramsey's hours were reduced to part-time as a cartoonist at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
The Post notes that these actions against Davies and Ramsey came just days after last week's election.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you now that there was debate within Gannett about the timing of last week's layoffs. Originally, Corporate scheduled at least some of them for election day itself.
But editors asked for more time, because they didn't want to disrupt election coverage.
"The fact that newspapers tend to lay off editorial cartoonists right after big elections ironically proves the value of the cartoonists," former Ventura County Star cartoonist Steve Greenberg told the Post. "Editors know the cartoons help shape the issues, give weight to election endorsements, make the case for or against candidates and issues more effectively than written editorials, and resonate with readers."
These particular layoffs put the lie to Gannett's party line of maintaining quality while cutting costs. The corporation cannot look its readers and employees in the eye and say it's keeping its best and brightest to continue this fictional march to good journalism. I sincerely hope "Matt Davis 2.0" makes the corporate drones in McLean sorry for heir actions -- though the bonuses they lavish on themselves will probably help balm the sore.
ReplyDeleteGannett gave up on quality a long, long time ago.
ReplyDeleteLook at any of the chain's papers. Have any improved under Gannett?
And look at their Web sites. Corporate dumps a lot of bucks on them thinking it's the way to go, and settles for a renovation that falls far short.
Attention Board of Directors: If you care, start cutting from the top!
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ReplyDeleteHow anyone can subscribe to these newspapers is amazing to me. What a bunch of jerks running them.
ReplyDeletehttp://exposingnewspapers.blogspot.com/
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ReplyDeleteNow they have done away with editorial cartoonists, local editorials will be next. I always thought this was one vision of ContentOne, which has stalled for the time being, but is far from dead. See what happens in the next round of layoffs which, rumors have it, may come early next year.
ReplyDeleteThis is so counter-intuitive. If it's boomers who still read newspapers and we're refocusing our efforts on that population segment, why get rid of the talent they most enjoy that sells the content? For the love of God, who is making these terrifically dumb-ass decisions?! How can the board sit and watch this self-destruction and not act?
ReplyDelete9:35 You and I might see originality and exclusive rights for one day to art. Gannett sees someone sitting around an office all day doodling, and resents the salary siphoned off from what could be theirs.
ReplyDeleteThe consultants have told them content does not matter: people buy newspapers to clip coupons, search for store sales, and look at the headlines, but they don't read it thoroughly. So it really doesn't matter what the papers run.
I am afraid we have to go through this very dreary phase before they wake up and realize the consultants have put them on treacherous quicksand with this concept: if no one cares about content, then why bother with it and instead just put out shoppers.