Thursday, January 10, 2008
"Black" Day at The Commercial Appeal
Posted by John Branston on Thu, Jan 10, 2008 at 4:00 AM
Employees say it's been a bleak five years, especially in contrast to what editor Chris Peck calls "monetizing" the content. In October, the paper began finding sponsors for certain columns and stories. More recently, a gray Gateway Tire ad has found a home on the agate type stats page in the sports section.
"We wanted to find a way to show our solidarity as a group of employees and this is a very visual way to do that," said Dakarai Aarons, one of the guild's three vice presidents. "We are in mourning."
Aarons added that, as health care costs have increased for employees but salaries haven't, employees are actually losing money by staying at the CA.
Read more about the CA's monetizing, here.
More about the guild's recent struggles here.
Comments (2)
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I guess you have to play to your patrons. Have you noticed the cartoon pictures that appear with each day's weather info? I have to give "props"(I think that's what you call it) to the Memphis Flyer. The Flyer might not like what someone has to say but they still listen and often even share it with their readers. Otis Sanford on the other hand will not even look at your letter if he has deemed you as someone that might offend someone else. I have told this to Mr. Bruce(can I call you that?)that I also have disagreed with my parents from time to time but that does not make me love them any less or discount their opinion.
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Great story. I worked as a journalist in the early 1990's just about the time journalism began its decline into sensationalism. It contradicted everything I was taught about journalistic integrity and ethics. Newspapers used to be (and should still be) the preeminent news source the public could rely upon for the unabashed truth - whether or not they liked or agreed with the truth. When I was a budding journalist, I never would have thought I would see the day when newspapers shied away from stories they thought would upset their readers. It has been very saddening to witness the devolution of journalism from championing the truth into sensationalism, e.g., reporting every second of depraved pop tart Britney Spears' mental breakdown. I suppose sensationalism momentarily garners more attention (read: money) than that archaic coda of journalistic ethics.
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