Saturday, August 19, 2006

Beacon Watch Continues


You're right, nothing in the paper today. My anonymous source says the announcement is being postponed until next week. What we are talking about here, of course, is layoffs -- as much as half the newsroom staff if rumors are to be believed. Which makes postponing the announcement a fine management decision. Nothing bolsters workplace morale like saying "Go home for the weekend and think about the jobs you might not have next week."

I have some guesses about what is going on, but will leave you in suspense until we know more specifics.

And there is always the possiblity that my source is having fun with me. At this point, it would be a relief to find out he was. You may not think it, but hollowing out the Beacon would be a serious blow to the community. It's easy to criticize an outsized target like the town's only daily, but the Beacon helps hold this community together. Don't take it for granted. "You don't miss your water until your well runs dry."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

While it's true the Beacon being gutted is nothing but bad, if it is gutted, perhaps Akron could develop an alternative press.

Anonymous said...

Layoff announcement at Beacon may indeed come this week. Staff was thinking it would come last Thursday or Friday, but got word from management that no announcement until at least this week. The mystery is the no, of layoffs, not that an announcement will come. The half-the-staff (newsroom) reduction, my sources tell me, is high, though staffers expect the cuts to be much more severe than the last time around, when there were fewer than 10? layoffs in the newsroom, though there also were buyouts that time apparently and this time buyouts are apparently not part of the equation. Whatever is announced will be devastating, especially to those who lose their jobs. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Anonymous said...

whatever happens, it ought to make the next reader's panel very interesting. I'm sure very pointed questions will be raised to whatever remains of the ABJ's leadership.