Comments on: Union-Tribune announces 192 layoffs across company

By: William Yelles: It’s back to the future at the Union-Tribune

William Yelles: It’s back to the future at the Union-Tribune — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:21:33 +0000

[...] the headlines out of Mission Valley have been different: Beverly Hills-based Platinum Equity cut 192 employees within days of closing on its purchase of the U-T in May, followed by a second round of 112 cuts in [...]

By: sdfisherlady

sdfisherlady — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:21:27 +0000

Too bad they didn’t lay off Karen Winner too and why is she not publishing her real/full name salary since subscribers contribute to her income. As a former city employee after 37 years, I cancelled my subscription and encourage(d) all other city employees to cancel theirs.

By: San Diego Union-Tribune announces another round of layoffs

San Diego Union-Tribune announces another round of layoffs — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:24:44 +0000

[...] the sale of the newspaper to the Beverly Hills-based investment firm Platinum Equity. The paper cut 192 positions three days after the paper’s sale was finalized in [...]

By: Union-Tribune owner makes bid for Boston Globe

Union-Tribune owner makes bid for Boston Globe — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:17:12 +0000

[...] days after Platinum closed its deal for the U-T, the paper laid off 192 employees, or 18 percent of the [...]

By: Jim O'Connell

Jim O'Connell — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:45:21 +0000

As a former employee of the Union-Tribune I am not surprised that it is dying a slow death. I worked in the newsroom for 6 years and in advertising for 10 years. The newsroom was full of big egos with little talent for chasing down a story. Those reporters that excelled at their jobs were stolen away by other news organizations - people like Walt Baranger (now with the NY Times); Mark Kreidler (now with the San Francisco Chronicle and a nationally syndicated columnist); and Buster Olney and Ric Bucher (now with ESPN). When these top caliber reporters were being courted by these other media groups the Union-Tribune never made any attempt to keep them on board. Management, led by Karin Winner, was pretty much worthless when it came to realising the true value of these former employees.

When I moved into advertising as a sales rep the some bonehead management prevailed. In fact, one of the most ignorant and abhorrent things I heard came from the mouth of Advertising Manager Scott Whitley shortly after the atrocity of Sept. 11th, 2001. Our advertisers were hurting badly due people’s cut back in traveling and spending habits after the attack. In October, during a staff meeting at which Whitley was announcing the advertising rate increases for the coming 2002, he was asked if the management had considered not raising rates for 2002 as the advertisers were hurting financially in the wake of 9/11. He said now they hadn’t. I personally asked him why they felt they had to raise the rates. His reply, “because we can.” This reflected the newspapers attitude towards its customers - both the advertisers and the readers.

I left the paper shortly afterwards as I felt that this kind of attitude was extremely high-handed and crass. (It is my fervent hope that Whitley falls victim to the next round of UT layoffs which we all know is coming.)

By: Jeff M

Jeff M — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:39:53 +0000

While the economic disaster has hastened the destruction of printed media, these cutbacks and gutting of what makes newspapers different, will be the last nail in the printed coffin.

By: Watcher

Watcher — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:04:45 +0000

We’ll know that the paper is finally beginning to turn around when they lay off Bob Kittle. As much as anyone else, he’s been responsible for the papers demise.

By: valerie.brown

valerie.brown — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:28:03 +0000

The slow death of the newspaper industry is sad but inevitable. It’s a whole new world of information and communication that is connecting people.