I remember during the last wave of Times cutbacks I was standing in the lunch line at some press conference when another journalist there asked what I thought about the cutbacks. I’m typically less horrified about them than some of my colleagues, because as a freelancer I generally see too much fat in these heavily staffed media institutions anyway. Getting rid of people who are paid no matter how little (or badly) they write, and replacing them with people who don’t get paid unless they work themselves up into something worth reading usually strikes me as a pretty good idea.
But then, of course, that’s what I would say.
“As a former staffer and once-a-week contributor, I think the Times is one of the finest papers in the world!” the guy said huffily, standing up very straight while balancing his plate of free food. “Look at all those Pulitzers!”
Yes, just look at them. But I suspect journalists are far more impressed by Pulitzers than readers, who tend to remember (and subscribe to a paper because of) an old-fashioned “Hey, Martha!” human interest story than the kind of worthy prize-grabbing thing that wins accolades from peers.
I feel sorry for the Ford workers laid off when their plant closes. Whey then do I get a lighhearted feeling when a newspaper fires a large part of its staff? It's a puzzlement.
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