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Friday, December 19, 2008
Creative Loafing announces layoffs
Posted by David Warner on Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 7:00 PM
I’m sorry to report that Creative Loafing Tampa has had to make layoffs in its editorial, advertising, circulation and operations departments. I can speak only for edit decisions, as these were the ones in which I was involved. Staff Writer Alex Pickett, Music Critic Wade Tatangelo and Copy Editor Anthony Salveggi were the editorial employees laid off today, their departures effective at the end of this month.
Creative Loafing Tampa has in recent months seen a steady decline in print advertising revenues — a trend that has affected media organizations across the country. Accordingly, we have been looking at ways to adjust: finding ways to lower print publishing costs while planning for a future that acknowledges the primacy of the Web. Our parent company, as has widely been reported, is also in the throes of restructuring its debt under Chapter 11 — debt that has mounted as a result both of the current financial climate and the company’s purchase last year of Washington City Paper and Chicago Reader.
The options we face are grim: If we don’t streamline and refocus our newsroom operations, we won’t survive.
And unfortunately, that means we have to make equally grim choices.
My task, as envisioned by CEO Ben Eason and Tampa Publisher Sharry Smith, was to build a newsroom that would reflect the company’s digital media strategy — one that could broaden our online outreach to the community, and entail a smaller full-time staff and greater use of freelancers and user-generated content.
While I see the need and the potential for such a change, figuring out where to make cuts from a full-time staff of eight was extremely painful — especially a staff that works together as closely as ours.
In the end, I have faith that our restructured newsroom can maintain and even increase the excellence and creativity that our readers have come to expect in print and online; and I am hoping that Alex, Wade and Sal can maintain a relationship with the paper as contributors once their full-time status ends. Whatever happens, they deserve thanks from everyone at Creative Loafing. They are our friends as well our colleagues, and the newspaper has benefited enormously from their talent and their hard work.
[Addendum: I was remiss in not namin the staffers from other departments who were affected by these changes; they are Melanie Rice, Elke Lockert, Ken Rogers and Gabe Loewenberg, friends and colleagues all, and also deserving of our gratitude.]
Comments (20)
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Local journalism was overrated anyways...let the syndication abound and ads flow - those that remain anyway. I love Wayne dearly, but one person and a bunch of community (i.e. free or lowly-paid) bloggers is a poor excuse for a newsroom. This is a very sad day for Tampa Bay.
Um. I'm still here. And so is Eric Snider. And Joe Bardi. And Megan Voeller and Mark Leib and Brian Ries... We hopefully won't lose the voices of the rest, entirely, either.
And what is a newsroom nowadays, anyway? Newspapers across the country have to re-define the idea of a news room, and try to figure out a model that works, 'cause the current one's broken. As awful as everything seems right now, we just have to grin and bear it, plunge ahead, and try and see if we can figure out how to save ourselves, and maybe the industry as a whole. (I have pie in the sky hopes, I know, but hope helps make things a little brighter.) I'm sad about this, and I will mourn but I refuse to despair, because despair leads to failure and that's not something I'm ready to accept.
Thank God Wade Tatangelo is gone! This idiot was a disgrace to any writer who has put two vowels together. All he ever talked about was how hammered he was at whatever event he was covering or how hammered he was the previous evening. He totally fits the definition of "hipster doofus". Join the unemployment line, fool! Maybe your boy Barack will hand you a check courtesy of "Uncle Sucker".
Classy, James. Very classy. I'm really sorry to hear about the losses at CL. You guys are all talented and I know something else will turn up for you soon.
Change is good for all concerned, You have to look on the bright side. When it's time to go, it's time to grow!
Gonna miss Wade. Gonna miss Alex. Gonna miss Anthony. I will drink tonight to respect your jobs well done. Good Luck in your next endeavors
I spoke to one of those laid off. Seems people are pretty pissed that they were let go at Christmas time. There is no good time to let someone go, but right before Christmas, when people are spending the little money they have to buy gifts and travel. You couldn't have waited a few weeks, or just gotten it over with a few months ago? And from what I've been told, nice severance package. I'm sure it's better than nothing, but you folks couldn't have thrown them a little more? What's another few thousand when you are already that far in debt? Maybe Mr. Eason would be nice enough to cut his salary a bit so that those who were laid off can have enough cash to pay bills for a month while they find new jobs.
To comment on the rude comment from James, maybe you should think before you type. Honestly...was that really necessary. In today's tough economic situation, when something happens to someone who has put time an effort into a profession and the ONLY reason that they are being let go is because of budget restrictions, is it really necessary to wish them away with such disrespect? You obviously read his column which made you an audience member and that means circulation so that validates their reason to have kept Wade on staff as a writer. Did you ever think that the Bar Tab column might not only be his only gig? Have you ever even read articles that he has written? If not, then that's too bad and your loss. Wade is not only an amazing writer but someone who is an amazing person that is in the writing profession because he enjoys what he does...I am sure that another company will employ him soon. And again to you "James"...we all wish you the best of luck trying to keep your job and making friends...as I see that you might have trouble doing both. Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS...or do you want to tell all the little kids out there that Santa got laid off too?
Wade you will be missed. I came to look forward to Wednesday's Bar Tab column, kinda like a Tampa Bay version of Charles Bukowski.
Thank you "M" for your wonderful comments! I hope you go back and read this. I'm glad I was able to get under your skin, as Wade got under mine. You must be a friend of his if you actually think that hack is talented. And I prefer to tell children that Santa is dead and their mother is a whore! Christmas just brings out the best in me. Sorry, Wade, but you are awful in too many ways to count. If you were so spectacular, you would not be getting the boot. I'm sure you can always "BLOG" about the problems of being hammered and unemployed. May your "Creative Loafing" perks be gone forever! Now you can loaf in earnest! But seriously, folks, Wade is out of a job and that makes some of us VERY VERY happy! This sign shows me there may be a God, after all. And I only read Wade's articles to see for myself that every one seemed to be worse than the last. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. But, hey, think of all the numerous job opportunities he'll have in Tampa. He can apply to media general for a.... oh, sorry, they've fired all their hacks, too. Merry XMAS, friends!
James, The offensive comments you've left on this blog post about Wade Tatangelo reveal your ignorance and a disturbing cruelty that is unwarranted. The fact that you didn't like Wade's Bar Tab, or any other aspect of his writing, is no justification for your celebration of his loss of employment. I've been a colleague and close friend of Wade's for the past two years, and I can attest that he was a tireless worker who wrote articulately and knowledgeably about a wide range of music and was easily one of Creative Loafing's best assets. He was not fired for lack of talent or dedication. More importantly, however, are his qualities as a human being. He is one of the most generous people I've ever known, always willing to give of his time and hospitality. If anything, he may be kind to a fault. It's unfortunate that you've confused his Bar Tab persona with his true self. I can't begin to understand the misanthropic streak that possesses you to celebrate Wade's loss of employment. It is simply unconscionable that you would be so heartless as to find joy in his loss of income, especially in this economic climate. The simple facts are this: You are wrong about Wade. You are wrong to savor other people's miseries and hardships. And you are wrong in your basic lack of decency and humanity. Get well soon.
I'm very sad to read about the layoffs. Alex has been one of my favorite reporters in the area, and Creative Loafing just won't be the same without him.
James, it is people like you that define the sort of cheap, gutless misanthropy that has kept good journalism from flourishing. People want to be flattered for opinions they already have, instead of learning something. If you actually want your brain to gorw, you have to read about opinions and perspectives other than your own, which is what an alternative paper is supposed to be.
Of course, after I have dealt with James, I also have to deal with CL. Yes, times may be tough, but the illusion that you can just put everything on the web if a bit of an illusion, especially since many people will not be able to access things from the web. Alternative, local media, are supposed to be the voice for all, not just people who can buy access to the internet, or afford the computer training. Also, to be real blunt, it is very hard to feel sympathy for an employer when, at the same time they are telling you to cut back during the Holidays, they are getting THEIR gravy. After all, as of now, Creative Loafing is just the local franchise for a media corporation with offices in Washington, Atlanta, Chicago and, incidentally Tampa. If CL is just the franchise office, then what makes them different than the local Starbucks?
People always hate to talk about when they are laid off. But as it has become every day's news headline since Yahoo started it with cutting 1500 of its task force last year, now a need of platform has been in demand where people can express their selves in words how they are feeling about their company, whey the got laid off was that justified or not. And every thing they want to tell anonymously.And www.layoffgossip.com is providing you that platform.
This is not a defense of James' comments at all, but ... I, too, was very, very weary of reading Wade T.'s "Bar Tab" column. And yes, I did read it, because I tried to read much that was in CL each week, whether or not it was of great interest, in order to support the paper (something increasingly harder to do). I'm also fully aware that he was the music critic and wrote about other topics, as well. But I frankly found it hard to believe that Wade remained employed by CL for as long as he was, or that he was allowed to continue to write the kinds of columns he did, in which he continually talked about getting and being drunk. I just felt it was completely irresponsible and dead wrong: on the part of Wade, on the part of CL editor David Warner. Tens of thousands of innocent people get killed by drunk drivers every day; celebrating public drunkenness is not funny. No, I am not celebrating Wade's departure from CL, but I'm not mourning it either. Anyway, it's old news by now, and life moves on.
I have a very close friend, who graduated from Harvard. Worked for ML for over 8 years, last year he's laid off too. OMG, now the banking industry is badly hurt, how long it would take for those financial background like him get back to the job market. Banking jobs are not there as much as before as easily seen on http://www.joboutlets.com and other job sites in the region
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