tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54275258523004540562009-07-10T22:12:17.672-07:00Welcome to the Stress-Telegram, your source for Southern California Media Guild updates, information, news, and media-related gossip. We believe that every challenge holds an opportunity, and an open dialogue is crucial to building successful relationships - not just with management, but with our fellow journalists and the communities we all serve.SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-8582008060100099242009-07-07T21:31:00.001-07:002009-07-10T22:12:17.685-07:00

The 2009 CWA Convention and Legislative-Political Conference adjourned last week, with several important resolutions. Guild rep and Vice President Vicki Di Paolo was good enough to share her take on what the conference means for working journalists facing the worst industry conditions in history, so here's a partial list of some of the issues CWA is tackling right now.The subject matter is a

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-83234074557656515622009-07-02T11:32:00.000-07:002009-07-02T15:20:07.825-07:00

Bankruptcy is imminent.That's the word from Michael Roberts, longtime MediaNews watcher for the alt-weekly Denver Westword.Unfortunately much or Roberts' evidence - a subscriber-only report with anonymous sources - can't be easily verified, so it's hard to determine the accuracy of these dire predictions. But the numbers Roberts cites are downright horrifying if they're correct.According to

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-21734642431618703652009-06-22T16:54:00.001-07:002009-06-22T16:55:20.890-07:00

The impending closure of the Press-Telegram's sole remaining circulation station has been postponed until further notice, according to MediaNews Group SVP Jim Janiga.The company notified the Guild on June 8 that due to a need for further operating expense cuts at the P-T, it planned to shutter the Signal Hill location by June 23 and perform the work out the Daily Breeze's circulation facility in

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-26669049455039357892009-06-12T19:14:00.000-07:002009-06-12T19:15:02.723-07:00

Press-Telegram operations will be consolidated onto the 1st floor of the downtown Long Beach ARCO Tower Building by July 1 and the newspaper plans to vacate the building entirely by the end of 2009, according to P-T General Manager Joe Brenneman.Brenneman told employees Thursday that the company has hired an agent to look for property and the hope is to keep the paper in Long Beach, preferably

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-28225203817924202752009-06-12T19:13:00.001-07:002009-06-12T19:13:42.020-07:00

Additional details of MediaNews Group's plans to shutter the Long Beach Press-Telegram's sole remaining circulation facility were presented to Guild members yesterday.The company, citing a need to further reduce operating expenses at the P-T, plans to close the Signal Hill facility by June 23 and move the work to the Torrance Daily Breeze. The MNG-owned Los Angeles Daily News circulation

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-62184023782026589612009-06-09T01:13:00.000-07:002009-06-09T01:14:04.532-07:00

MediaNews Group, citing a need to further reduce operating expenses at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, will shutter the P-T's sole remaining circulation facility and move the work to the Torrance Daily Breeze, according to a company notification to the Guild.The station, located in Signal Hill, now employs 10 P-T unit members. Each will have the option of taking a buyout or transferring to

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-38035308417653519242009-05-20T13:39:00.001-07:002009-05-20T13:47:22.264-07:00

Just a reminder that July 19 is the date when the new vacation accrual cap goes into effect. That means bargaining unit members must reduce their accrued vacation hours to less than one year's total. After July 19, you will not accrue any vacation time if you have a year's worth of vacation or more on the books.If you are having trouble using your vacation hours, please contact Vicki Di Paolo at

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-11184892225831833532009-05-18T13:33:00.000-07:002009-05-18T14:22:18.406-07:00

Big changes are needed in order to save journalism from the ravages of the internet.That's the message presented by Bruce W. Sanford and Bruce D. Brown, in this piece for the Washington Post. The pair have come up with five ways to save newspapers.Some of their suggestions are well-intentioned, like a call to strengthen copyright law to prevent abuse from digital outlets. Unfortunately their

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-55349257149681295542009-05-15T16:01:00.001-07:002009-05-18T13:07:27.280-07:00

Amid the layoffs and cutbacks, MediaNews is still hiring - at least in West Covina. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune is looking for a Metro Reporter, according to this listing at JournalismJobs.comThe San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group seeks a Metro reporter who can produce enterprise stories in addition to strong daily coverage. Candidates should be comfortable covering city hall, but also able to

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-91386887859247452592009-05-04T07:14:00.000-07:002009-05-05T06:08:38.602-07:00

Are there any sacred cows left? Or have things gotten so bad that literally everything is negotiable? How much of tomorrow are you willing to surrender in order to preserve today?These are the sort of very real questions facing journalists across the country. Most recently, the Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents over 600 employees at the Boston Globe, has been forced to face some harsh

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-22457126864051805582009-04-23T18:51:00.000-07:002009-04-24T21:44:43.484-07:00

Are antitrust laws killing the newspaper industry? That's the argument media executives from made to congress this week, asking for an exemption to the laws regulating media consolidation, arguing that consolidation is the only way to preserve the industry's falling revenues.So far, the Justice Department isn't convinced. Carl Shapiro, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economics at the

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-59360350491357357602009-04-21T16:14:00.000-07:002009-04-21T16:45:31.383-07:00

MediaNews has informed the Guild that it intends to lay off five newsroom staffers at the Los Angeles Daily news by the end of the week as part of its declared need to reduce Daily News newsroom expenses by 15 percent. As reported yesterday to Guild members, the positions identified by the company include three metro reporters, one photographer and one graphic artist. The Guild has been

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-43157405386822891822009-04-09T22:35:00.000-07:002009-04-11T17:37:25.803-07:00

Voice of San Diego, the nonprofit online news Web site, has been recognized by Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc., for their Redevelopment Investigations series.NPR's Alex Cohen calls it one of the "most prestigious national awards" in his her coverage of the award.

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-91327027275580900422009-04-07T10:54:00.000-07:002009-04-07T11:00:30.449-07:00

Three plus six equals oneIt's been confirmed that April 20 is LANG's D-Day for transferring copy editors of the Daily News, PT and Breeze to the universal copy desk at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune facility in West Covina. Daily Breeze EiC Phillip Sanfield sent out a memo on Monday informing Breeze and former-PT copy editors that Monday April 20, the day following Long Beach Grand Prix coverage,

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-67040349288688463332009-04-06T15:39:00.000-07:002009-04-06T18:18:34.350-07:00

A member forwarded us the following memo from Press-Telegram executive city editor John Futch:Jody Collins, who has been a steady beacon on the Press-Telegram city desk, will be joining the consolidated production operation in San Gabriel in a few weeks. Jody has pulled us through so many tough evenings with her great skills and unflappable good humor and we'll miss that. On the other hand,

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-1961360240352745342009-04-03T10:53:00.001-07:002009-04-03T10:53:29.260-07:00

MediaNews Group has reached a forbearance agreement with its lenders, according to a report in the New York Times. A forbearance agreement is where the debtor and the creditor both acknowledge there is a financial problem and arrange a payment schedule that will allow the debtor to make moves to regain its financial footing. While not specified in the NYT article, it should be noted that

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-50636207989738547742009-03-30T21:48:00.001-07:002009-04-06T12:41:02.275-07:00

Officials at the regional National Labor Relations Board have filed a Motion for Default Judgment against the Press-Telegram over our charges that the newspaper violated federal labor laws in March 2008 by moving P-T Guild members to the non-union Daily Breeze and laying off others.In filing the motion, the Region 21 counsel calls for the NLRB to find in favor of the Guild on all counts.The

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-2601412881905709732009-03-25T00:44:00.001-07:002009-03-25T15:31:06.163-07:00

Since last year, we've been reporting on the rise in nonprofit news ventures. Now, one U.S. senator is trying to make that option a little easier.Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland), has introduced a bill to allow newspapers to restructure into nonprofit organizations.This effort, which currently has no co-sponsors, gives newspapers the option to "operate as nonprofits for educational purposes

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-26963380331571171122009-03-24T09:52:00.001-07:002009-03-24T10:19:59.590-07:00

The MediaNews Group-owned Denver Newspaper Agency, which provides non-newsroom services for the Denver Post, fired 40 people on Friday and is set to let another 160 people go in the coming weeks, according to the Denver Business Journal. The DNA, which was created to consolidate business services for the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News, had been expected to slash its staff following the

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-90416504689329554032009-03-20T14:46:00.000-07:002009-03-20T16:16:53.260-07:00

News organizations are fond of defending free speech and the importance of keeping the public informed. MediaNews is no different - unless that news is about the company itself.In a move reminiscent of the MNG decision to cease filing financial reports with federal regulators, the company has asked Standard & Poor's to withdraw all credit ratings for the company.The request is presumably a

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-71951032593151963902009-03-19T13:09:00.000-07:002009-03-20T00:13:45.839-07:00

As if Dean Singleton does not have enough worries just finding enough advertising, now Standard & Poor's is on his back yet again. MediaNews has taken another hit at the hands of the credit agency, sinking further into the morass of junk status. This time he's not alone--the Orange County Register had their rating downgraded too. S&P cited steeply declining cash flow as a main reason for the

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-17632166827658260692009-03-12T08:21:00.000-07:002009-03-12T15:10:23.902-07:00

I'm sure most of us remember seeing members from the other CWA units rallying beside us over the last two years. They were at nearly every event, carrying signs and helping out as much as possible. Now we have the chance to return the favor.The Verizon unit's contract will be up for negotiation soon, and it's shaping up to be a tough fight. The Verizon unit is holding a "Countdown to Negotiations

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-53348227758227969482009-03-10T08:19:00.000-07:002009-03-10T09:04:47.401-07:00

NoCal Guild votes Thursday (March 12) on contract changes that may keep the SF Chronicle publishing – California Media Workers GuildSacramento Bee cuts 11% of its staff, Modesto Bee staff agrees to wage reductions. Agreements made to stave off job cuts – McClatchy Bee BulletinRound-up of negotiations and news in Seattle – pnw.orgFinal days for the Seattle P-I? – The StrangerIs I-News old news?

SoCal Media Guildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01696173983620912022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-26244585838958639502009-03-03T21:18:00.000-08:002009-03-03T21:34:31.414-08:00

A member asked us to share the following with everyone.How is it relevant you ask? We all talk in the newsroom and are convinced that the paper won't be around.Regina Combs at Poynter Online tells the story behind Final Edition, a somber look back at the loss of yet another civic institution. Although no one needs to be reminded just what's at stake, and just how badly things can get, it just

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5427525852300454056.post-54997886277178269992009-03-03T13:08:00.000-08:002009-03-03T15:47:55.711-08:00

According to the Department of Labor, the recently-signed economic stimulus package has provisions that should be of interest to many Americans. Under the new rules, employees who are laid off between Sept. 1, 2008 and the end of 2009 will be eligible for subsidized medical coverage from the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) program. March is first month of the subsidy

Len Cutlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10571753955066734353noreply@blogger.com0