03-16-2009/03-17-2009/04-01-2009 KANSAS CITY STAR'S IMPACTED NEWSROOM EMPLOYEES As announced on this Web news site last week (LINK), names of Kansas City Star employees being let go or having their hours/pay reduced are now surfacing. It is truly a sad day for the journalism profession as some top-flight individuals have been given their walking papers. We wish them the best of everything in the future. It should be noted that many employees also had their hours reduced to 32 a week (and a 30% pay cut). Some of those had to give up their health benefits; others had to give up vacation time. At least two columnists were told they had better accept a cut in hours and pay now or there may not be any buyout money down the road. That likely means more cuts are expected in the future. A source has also updated information regarding The Olathe News, owned by the KC Star. Reportedly, it will now take the place of the Olathe Neighborhood News and will retain Olathe News-only subscribers and be inserted into the Star, taking the place of the Olathe Neighborhood News. "The Olathe News will be redesigned into a tabloid, but remain independent in look and voice," says the source. "All Olathe News employees--those who are left after layoffs tomorrow---will become Star employees and work within its system to produce The Olathe News." This list will be updated (and corrected, if necessary) on a regular basis ([email protected]). These are the names we have received as of 9:55 p.m. (CST):
Eric Palmer, Deputy Business Editor DeAnn Smith, Investigative Reporter Rick Alm, Gambling & Tourism Reporter (Tribute) David Hayes, Technology/Internet Reporter Malcolm Garcia, Reporter Don Allmon, IT Greg Peters, Photo Desk Katie Middleton, Northland Editor Jim Pedley, Motor Sports Writer John Mark Eberhart, Books Editor (LINK TO PITCH STORY) Ward Triplett, Wire Editor (credit Pitch) Robert Folsom, Features Copy Editor David Boyce, Sports Reporter Mike Fitzgerald, Asst. Sports Editor
Stephen Winn- Deputy Editorial Page Editor Trudy Hurley- Editorial Assistant
Kirk Weber- Night City Editor
Dennis Boone- Jackson County Editor
Russ Pulley- Independence Bureau Reporter Bill Graham, Platte County Reporter/Columnist Tom Dolphens, Asst. Mng. Editor Terrell Harris, Photo Imager Beth Jordan, Copy Editor Georgann Norton, Features Copy Desk Chief (updated) Nick Poirier, Photo Imager Kent Pulliam, Sports Wire Editor Samantha Branson, Copy Editor MADE PART-TIME WITH CUTS IN PAY & BENEFITS Robert Butler, Movie Critic Mike Hendricks, Columnist Steve Penn, Columnist Carol Powers, Deputy Features Editor Alice Thorson, Art Critic Robert Trussell, Theater Critic Donna Vestal, Business Editor Brent Frazee, Outdoors Writer OLATHE DAILY NEWS Jack Weinstein, Reporter John Petrovic, Photographer Aaron Cedeno, Reporter Andy Marso, Sports Reporter (See story)
03-16-2009 SPECIAL FEEDBACK: "And if you don't have a quick way to send those names other than using The Star web site and you hesitate to do so, call your former colleagues and we'll e-mail the names in from our home and new work e-mails. I understand that after the last layoffs they spent days trying to figure out who leaked the names."
NOTE OF THANKS: To Northeast's Buzz Blog (http://nebuzz.blogspot.com/) for the kind words regarding the compiling of this list. They are appreciated.
03-17-2009
"I'm a Star "early retirement'' buyout from the 2000 group (the newsroom lost more than 300 years or experience in that buyout), so I've been very interested in your lists of who's been targeted in the various layoffs, and i can't tell you how much i appreciate your work here. You're doing a real public service. "...By the way, why on earth would the Star want the names of those who're leaving to be kept secret? That makes no sense. Is the new motto "we give you the news -- unless it involves us''?? "I think they are supposed to be targeting areas they are scaling back (Northland and East Jack neighborhood news), could do without or have duplications. So I guess with Lynn Horsley, DeAnn Smith and sometimes Dave Helling and investigative reporter Mike Mansur all looking at city hall, one had to go. "Mansur and Horsley have been there longer than Smith. Helling also has the online video going for him and Mansur does the database reporting thing."
"Let me tell your readers something about the 2000 buyout, when, as one of your feedback writers put it, "the newsroom lost more than 300 years of experience." As a person who retired in 2006 and spent decades at the paper, I can tell you that was the sweetest buyout The Star ever offered. "As I recall, the guts of it was two weeks of pay for every year of service, with NO cap. So, some people got close to two years' pay. I was tempted but had kids in high school and couldn't afford to leave, even with the generous offer... "And about that 300 years of service: A lot of good people left, but the program also began to clear out some of the deadwood that had been piling up for 30 years. And believe me, even after yesterday's swath through the newsroom, there's still some deadwood in that stately building at 18th and Grand."
"Unfortunately, our newspaper didn't see fit to tell us anything about it and I have several friends there. Keep up the good work."
"I enjoy Bill Graham in the Northland edition and hate to see what is happening to the Star employees. "I tried to put my Star delivery on vacation hold. The website had my old phone # so had to call the subscription dept. Called them on Saturday - March 14. The lady had an accent. Asked her where she was located - answer - "in the Philippines". So much for supporting the local employment base. Went to Springfield / Branson / Republic. Read the Springfield paper. What a difference. Springfield paper had some excellent content & articles in it. The paper had news in the news sections instead of car ads. The Springfield / Branson area was not packed to the brim but there were lot of people there."--Max Burk
"Keep up the good work. We appreciate you keeping us informed, since the STAR isn't going out of its way to focus on its own layoffs. While 150 people (how many total since last summer?) doesn't compare to the thousands being laid off at Sprint or other local businesses, as a percentage of the total remaining employee base at the STAR, that has to be a big number. "Lots of editors took it this time, but since there aren't as many reporters writing stories, there's obviously less need for editors. Question 1 -- it appears as if the Star is completely abandoning their neighborhood insert sections, would you agree? You mentioned the Olathe insert being combined with the Olathe Daily News on your website -- what about the other sections? I live in KCMO, so I get the City insert on Wednesdays. I think the last 2 weeks it's only been 8 pages. Question 2 -- at what point do these reductions in staff/reporters/editors affect the value proposition for subscribers of the paper? You can't keep cutting back on the product and expect people to continue paying the same price for the product. At some point doesn't this bloodletting force people to cancel their subscriptions, thus hastening the demise of the paper? If the Star is still profitable, as you and others have stated/implied, how do all these cuts make sense? I've been a subscriber for decades, and I'm thinking about whether it makes sense to keep subscribing."
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