As some of you already know, I found out last week that my job is going to be eliminated in May or June. Although people may know that I write for The Star, my job is basically to be a copy editor. The E.W. Scripps Co., the chain that owns our paper, is consolidating all the copy desks (i.e., the people who design the pages and put the stories and photos on them) for the papers it has in the Western states into their paper in Corpus Christi, Texas.
What is happening is that in order to cut costs -- something all newspapers are desperately trying to do these days -- Scripps is eliminating all the copy desks at its papers in Ventura, Redding and Bremerton, Wash. The people being laid off are being offered jobs in Corpus Christi, but as you can imagine, few if any will decide to move to Texas.
It is definitely a shocking and rather incomprehensible move. Local reporters will be writing their stories here in Ventura County. Editors on the city desk will edit them and then tell people in Texas how they are to be laid out. It sounds so strange and so desperate.
On top of all this, we found out this week three more are being let go as well, including my boss and our sports columnist, who has been at the paper for 25 years.
This, obviously, is going to be a traumatic thing for our family as well as the 17 other people losing their jobs at The Star and I'd really appreciate your prayers. I've been at The Star for 26 years. We're fortunate that we've been able to save some money through various means over the years. We're not like a lot of other people who are living from paycheck to paycheck. But anything like this is very scary. The job market is very thin and even more so for journalists/writers.
A year ago last November, we had some other layoffs and at that time, I sent out an e-mail to the whole newsroom (a unusually bold thing for me to do) and told them "The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God can't keep you." I still believe that and know good things are in store, even though it may be difficult to see how now.
I'll write more later about the day it happened and feelings I have about all this. Not that you're necessarily dying to know all this, but it'll help me with the grief process (and isn't that one of the things a blog is for?). That process right now is still a little too raw to express, especially after the additional cuts this week.
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Yes, Jim, the purpose of a blog is defined by the blogger and you are definitely going through a grieving process. Any great loss in our lives takes a toll on us and each person will deal with it differently. I hope you'll continue to use your blog to express your feelings. It's cathartic. I know your faith will get you through this uncertain and scary time in your life. You know my prayers are with you.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about this. I had hoped all the layoffs had ended. It doesn't sound like it's a very happy place to work anymore. I don't know how the plans are going to work but it seams that local newspapers are not going to be able to stay in business much longer.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that at least financially you will be OK. My youngest son was out of work for over a year and it was very hard for him, but he is working now and it seems that things are picking up. Good luck.
I came from the advertising side at the Star but my heart was always on the news side. I could have sold widgets or gadgets or thingamajigs but I wanted to be part of newspapering and advertising sales was what I could contribute. The best and the brightest graced the news desks at the Star, the L.A. Daily News and the old Press Courier, papers where I worked. Take heart, Jim and look for that new door to open. It will....
ReplyDeletePepper Aarvold