Now that everyone has their buyout package, be sure to doublecheck the numbers. If you have already received your pay raise for the year, make sure it's reflected in your offer. There have been problems in the past with things slipping between the cracks. If there is a problem, you should get in touch with Human Resources as soon as possible.
And while numbers are being tossed around, keep in mind that even with the company withholding 25 percent of your total (salary and medical benefits) payout, receiving considerably more than your one year's wages in one year can push you into a higher tax bracket. There is also the matter of Social Security taxes to be considered.
One more thing: The company has said it will not oppose efforts by anyone who takes the buyout to apply for unemployment insurance benefits. The Texas Workforce Commission may or may not be swayed by the DMN's assent. Unemployment benefits, by the way, amount to a post-tax net of $283 per week for 26 weeks. That's a total of $7358.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
A Word or Two About Verticals
Some of you, like Mr. Sunbeam, may be doing some head-scratching over what the talk about "verticals" really means. This is dangerous turf for business school dropouts like Mr. Sunbeam. But after chatting with more knowledgeable folks, here are a few tidbits to chew on:
* Verticals are niche products that more closely package editorial content with advertising. Journalists write stories about subjects that can be marketed to advertisers attracted to those topics. Cars or real estate. for example. While the product is led by a general manager (and ultimately answers to Jim Moroney), there is a "dotted line" relationship with top newsroom managers. Reporters would still be supervised by editors. This is supposed to NOT be advertorial . Nor is it a traditional stucture with a high wall between news and advertising.
* F!D Luxe, the DMN's once-a-month glossy fashion section, is cited as a model for what a vertical might look like. It is inserted into the newspaper, but it is also available as a giveaway in certain targeted areas. There is also a web component.
* Management has said there will be at least two pilot projects launched this year. One will be entertainment-oriented. The other is likely to be High School Game Time, for which they are already seeking a general manager. It will be a strictly online product.
The idea, of course, is to make make money where the paper is not making enough money now.
* Verticals are niche products that more closely package editorial content with advertising. Journalists write stories about subjects that can be marketed to advertisers attracted to those topics. Cars or real estate. for example. While the product is led by a general manager (and ultimately answers to Jim Moroney), there is a "dotted line" relationship with top newsroom managers. Reporters would still be supervised by editors. This is supposed to NOT be advertorial . Nor is it a traditional stucture with a high wall between news and advertising.
* F!D Luxe, the DMN's once-a-month glossy fashion section, is cited as a model for what a vertical might look like. It is inserted into the newspaper, but it is also available as a giveaway in certain targeted areas. There is also a web component.
* Management has said there will be at least two pilot projects launched this year. One will be entertainment-oriented. The other is likely to be High School Game Time, for which they are already seeking a general manager. It will be a strictly online product.
The idea, of course, is to make make money where the paper is not making enough money now.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Selected Jobs of Former Colleagues
A request has been made for information about former DMN staff members who left the paper as the result of either the 2006 buyout or 2004 layoff. A complete listing would be time-consuming and damn near impossible. But here's a sample, just to give a flavor of the variety of employment people have found:
1) Former TV writer Ed Bark, as many undoubtedly know, runs the well-regarded and oft-cited blog site, unclebarky.com
2) Former books writer Jerome Weeks is an arts reporter for KERA-FM. He works alongside another DMN alum, former music editor Anne Bothwell.
3) Former Metro reporter and raconteur Tim J. Wyatt is the official spokesman for Collin County government in McKinney.
4) Former Metro Deputy Managing Editor Dwayne Bray heads the investigative unit of ESPN in Bristol, Conn. He recently hired former Metro reporter Paula Lavigne to do computer assisted reporting for his unit.
5) Dotty Griffith, the longtime DMN restaurant critic, recently joined the American Civil Liberties Union in Austin as director of public education. She is working for Terri Burke, a former AME over the feature sections at the DMN.
6) Pete Slover, former Metro and Austin bureau reporter, is special counsel to State Comptroller Susan Combs and director of the agency's criminal investigations unit.
7) Former Metro reporter Bill Lodge recently started a job as federal courts reporter for The Advocate in Baton Rouge. He had previously worked as a journalism professor and advisor to the student newspaper at North Lake College in Irving.
8) Former Lifestyles reporter Michael Precker, as has been well-reported, is the day manager and spokesman for The Lodge, a gentleman's club in Dallas.
9) Mike Peters, whose last DMN job was as an assistant foreign editor, just started as editor of First Alaskans, a magazine for a chain of newspapers in Alaska. He is based in Anchorage.
10) Former Metro and Today columnist Larry Powell runs http://www.readlarrypowell.com/ , a blog about pet matters. He also writes a column for Urban Animal magazine. (This gratuitous reference will no doubt force Mr. Powell to surface and toss barbed insults.)
11) Former Books Editor Charles Ealy is an assistant business editor with the Austin American-Statesman. And, yes, he made it the Cannes Film Festival again this year.
12) Kathy Lewis, former deputy Washington bureau chief, is chief spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute. Working with Kathy is fellow D.C. bureau alum, Robert Dodge.
13) Allen Pusey, longtime Dallas and D.C. bureau reporter, is managing editor of the American Bar Association Journal in Chicago.
14) Michael Weiss, former assistant national editor, assistant state editor and assistant business editor for the DMN , is an editor with Bloomberg News in New York.
15) Arnold Hamilton, former Oklahoma bureau reporter, is the editor and co-owner of the Oklahoma Observer, a venerable political weekly newspaper in Oklahoma City.
16) Esther Wu, former Metro columnist, is director of community relations for the Trammel and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art.
17) Pam Maples, former Projects editor, is managing editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
18) Former Arts Editor Rick Holter is a supervising senior editor for the weekend version of NPR's All Things Considered in Washington. His wife, former SportsDay special projects editor Shawna Seed, has completed one novel and is writing a second.
19) Former Metro reporter Kristine Hughes recently joined former Metro reporters Tony Hartzel and Holly Becka as public involvement representatives for HNTB Corp., an architectural and engineering firm involved in building several large local highway projects.
20) Laura Beil, former medical writer, is freelancing for among others, The New York Times. She also contributes regularly to Science News, a D.C.-based magazine edited by her former DMN boss, Tom Siegfried.
21) Former Metro and Lifestyles reporter Aline McKenzie is one of several DMN Metro Desk alums who now work for UT Southwestern's news and publications office. Others include Kristen Holland Shear, LaKisha Ladson, Connie Piloto, Russell Rian, Katherine Morales and Patrick Wascovich. Business News alum Lin Lofley is also working there.
22) Former SportsDay columnist Kevin Blackistone holds the Shirley Povich Chair in Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland. He also contributes to ESPN and AOL Sports.
23) Vernon Smith, former assistant foreign editor, has worked as a consultant to news organizations in Jordan and Mexico.
24) Former DMN photo honcho Robert Hart, whose last gig with Belo was as head of online content for Belo Interactive, is director of operations for Noofangle Media, a provider of web-based content for radio and TV stations co-founded by DMN-ex Tom Kessler.
25) G. Robert Hillman, former editor and reporter in the D.C. bureau, is an editor with Politico.com, a well-regarded provider of political content in Washington.
And there are so many more.
1) Former TV writer Ed Bark, as many undoubtedly know, runs the well-regarded and oft-cited blog site, unclebarky.com
2) Former books writer Jerome Weeks is an arts reporter for KERA-FM. He works alongside another DMN alum, former music editor Anne Bothwell.
3) Former Metro reporter and raconteur Tim J. Wyatt is the official spokesman for Collin County government in McKinney.
4) Former Metro Deputy Managing Editor Dwayne Bray heads the investigative unit of ESPN in Bristol, Conn. He recently hired former Metro reporter Paula Lavigne to do computer assisted reporting for his unit.
5) Dotty Griffith, the longtime DMN restaurant critic, recently joined the American Civil Liberties Union in Austin as director of public education. She is working for Terri Burke, a former AME over the feature sections at the DMN.
6) Pete Slover, former Metro and Austin bureau reporter, is special counsel to State Comptroller Susan Combs and director of the agency's criminal investigations unit.
7) Former Metro reporter Bill Lodge recently started a job as federal courts reporter for The Advocate in Baton Rouge. He had previously worked as a journalism professor and advisor to the student newspaper at North Lake College in Irving.
8) Former Lifestyles reporter Michael Precker, as has been well-reported, is the day manager and spokesman for The Lodge, a gentleman's club in Dallas.
9) Mike Peters, whose last DMN job was as an assistant foreign editor, just started as editor of First Alaskans, a magazine for a chain of newspapers in Alaska. He is based in Anchorage.
10) Former Metro and Today columnist Larry Powell runs http://www.readlarrypowell.com/ , a blog about pet matters. He also writes a column for Urban Animal magazine. (This gratuitous reference will no doubt force Mr. Powell to surface and toss barbed insults.)
11) Former Books Editor Charles Ealy is an assistant business editor with the Austin American-Statesman. And, yes, he made it the Cannes Film Festival again this year.
12) Kathy Lewis, former deputy Washington bureau chief, is chief spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute. Working with Kathy is fellow D.C. bureau alum, Robert Dodge.
13) Allen Pusey, longtime Dallas and D.C. bureau reporter, is managing editor of the American Bar Association Journal in Chicago.
14) Michael Weiss, former assistant national editor, assistant state editor and assistant business editor for the DMN , is an editor with Bloomberg News in New York.
15) Arnold Hamilton, former Oklahoma bureau reporter, is the editor and co-owner of the Oklahoma Observer, a venerable political weekly newspaper in Oklahoma City.
16) Esther Wu, former Metro columnist, is director of community relations for the Trammel and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art.
17) Pam Maples, former Projects editor, is managing editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
18) Former Arts Editor Rick Holter is a supervising senior editor for the weekend version of NPR's All Things Considered in Washington. His wife, former SportsDay special projects editor Shawna Seed, has completed one novel and is writing a second.
19) Former Metro reporter Kristine Hughes recently joined former Metro reporters Tony Hartzel and Holly Becka as public involvement representatives for HNTB Corp., an architectural and engineering firm involved in building several large local highway projects.
20) Laura Beil, former medical writer, is freelancing for among others, The New York Times. She also contributes regularly to Science News, a D.C.-based magazine edited by her former DMN boss, Tom Siegfried.
21) Former Metro and Lifestyles reporter Aline McKenzie is one of several DMN Metro Desk alums who now work for UT Southwestern's news and publications office. Others include Kristen Holland Shear, LaKisha Ladson, Connie Piloto, Russell Rian, Katherine Morales and Patrick Wascovich. Business News alum Lin Lofley is also working there.
22) Former SportsDay columnist Kevin Blackistone holds the Shirley Povich Chair in Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland. He also contributes to ESPN and AOL Sports.
23) Vernon Smith, former assistant foreign editor, has worked as a consultant to news organizations in Jordan and Mexico.
24) Former DMN photo honcho Robert Hart, whose last gig with Belo was as head of online content for Belo Interactive, is director of operations for Noofangle Media, a provider of web-based content for radio and TV stations co-founded by DMN-ex Tom Kessler.
25) G. Robert Hillman, former editor and reporter in the D.C. bureau, is an editor with Politico.com, a well-regarded provider of political content in Washington.
And there are so many more.
Life After The DMN
In case you're wondering whether you possess job skills the outside world might be interested in, the answer is an emphatic yes from many alumni of the paper. This is not to minimize the difficulty of transitioning from a career many journalists consider a calling. Job searches can be an interminable, ego-draining drag. But it should be recognized that the core skills journalists possess - writing, interviewing, researching - are still valued by employers. You might be surprised how impressed people are at the ability to compose clear, grammatically correct sentences not laden with misspellings. And some of these employers pay pretty well.
Our former DMN colleague, Doug Bedell, advises that we stop whining that we don't know what else to do with ourselves and get busy pursuing opportunities that play to our skill sets. Doug left the paper in 2004 after a highly distinguished reporting career. He now works as a communications jack-of-all-trades at Haynes and Boone, a large Dallas law firm. True, he has to wear a suit to work, but he gets a paycheck to cover the cost. And he loves his work.
Doug says he is available for inspirational counseling and/or butt-kicking sessions.
Our former DMN colleague, Doug Bedell, advises that we stop whining that we don't know what else to do with ourselves and get busy pursuing opportunities that play to our skill sets. Doug left the paper in 2004 after a highly distinguished reporting career. He now works as a communications jack-of-all-trades at Haynes and Boone, a large Dallas law firm. True, he has to wear a suit to work, but he gets a paycheck to cover the cost. And he loves his work.
Doug says he is available for inspirational counseling and/or butt-kicking sessions.
Job Listings
For those interested in perusing some current job listings, you can visit www.jenster.com/joblist.htm This is Jennifer LaFleur's work. She says it will be updated later today. Another local site worth a view is operated by the University of North Texas. The link is http://web3.unt.edu/journalism/find_jobs1.php A third one is www.indeed.com. It combines a bunch of different job search sites into one omnibus one.
Happy hunting.
Happy hunting.
For Those in the Old G.B. Dealey Pension Plan
There are a couple of things worth noting for those who are vested in the pension plan. (Those who have joined the DMN in the last several years have only a 401k plan.):
1) When Belo divided earlier this year, staff members aged 55 and above who work at A.H. Belo, the newspaper company, got the benefit of being able to draw on their pension while continuing their employment. The reason for this is that the pension plan is administered by Belo Corp., a now separate company. Our brethren at WFAA, who remain part of Belo, do not share in this opportunity because they remain employed by the company that runs the pension plan. Of course, it is up to each individual to decide whether it makes sense to tap the pension fund at this point. Taking a payout prior to age 65 carries costs. You might check with an accountant if you have one. Perhaps Mr. Sunbeam can supply further information down the road.
2) As a more financially savvy colleague noted, those who stayed with the old pension plan are scheduled to receive an additional cash infusion IF they remain employed by the DMN until the end of March 2009. This contribution can amount to several thousand dollars per person. This is assuming that the company doesn't change its mind about continuing these payouts.
CORRECTION: Mr. Sunbeam has learned that in order to qualify for another infusion of cash for those vested in the old pension plan, a staffer must be employed at the DMN as of Dec. 31, 2008, not March 31, 2009.
One more thing to consider when crunching the numbers.
1) When Belo divided earlier this year, staff members aged 55 and above who work at A.H. Belo, the newspaper company, got the benefit of being able to draw on their pension while continuing their employment. The reason for this is that the pension plan is administered by Belo Corp., a now separate company. Our brethren at WFAA, who remain part of Belo, do not share in this opportunity because they remain employed by the company that runs the pension plan. Of course, it is up to each individual to decide whether it makes sense to tap the pension fund at this point. Taking a payout prior to age 65 carries costs. You might check with an accountant if you have one. Perhaps Mr. Sunbeam can supply further information down the road.
2) As a more financially savvy colleague noted, those who stayed with the old pension plan are scheduled to receive an additional cash infusion IF they remain employed by the DMN until the end of March 2009. This contribution can amount to several thousand dollars per person. This is assuming that the company doesn't change its mind about continuing these payouts.
CORRECTION: Mr. Sunbeam has learned that in order to qualify for another infusion of cash for those vested in the old pension plan, a staffer must be employed at the DMN as of Dec. 31, 2008, not March 31, 2009.
One more thing to consider when crunching the numbers.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Quick Rundown of Plan
Because there already seems to be confusion about the company's buyout offer, Mr. Sunbeam will offer a few details supplied by top newsroom managers:
1) Every full-time staff member who is eligible to take the buyout is supposed to receive a packet on Tuesday, July 29, that provides individualized payout information. Your supervisor is supposed to pick this up from Human Resources and deliver it to you.
2) The offer is 1.5 weeks of pay for each year of service up to 15 years. Anyone who has more than 15 years of service is eligible for an additional 2.5 weeks of pay per year. No one, regardless of length of service, can receive more than a total of 40 weeks of pay. In 2006, the maximum was 52 weeks of pay. If my rudimentary math skills hold, this means no staff member with more than 22 years of service can receive additional pay for their extra years. Non-contiguous years of service - unlike in 2006 - will not factor in your payout. No one eiligible for the buyout can receive less than two weeks of severance pay.
3) The medical benefits (to pay for COBRA insurance) offer is a maximum of six months. The maximum offer in 2006 was one year.
4) The buyout amount and the medical benefits for each staff member will be paid in a lump sum - minus 25 percent wittheld for income taxes.
5) The buyout period runs from August 11 through August 20. During this period, one can opt in or rescind a request. There is no additional time to rescind. The company will decide which buyout requests are accepted. The plan is to complete that process by August 25. Most of those who take the buyout will stay on the job until Sept. 12. Some people may be asked to stay longer because of the particular job they perform.
6) Jim Moroney stated in his email on Monday that the goal is to reduce the newsroom staff of the DMN (excluding Quick, Al Dia and Dallasnews.com) to 350. At present, the DMN newsroom staff numbers approximately 390. That translates into 40 jobs that need to be cut to avoid possible layoffs. Staff members who have announced prior to Monday that they are leaving the paper have already been counted in the 390.
If I have misstated or miscalculated any of this, I'm sure someone will correct me.
1) Every full-time staff member who is eligible to take the buyout is supposed to receive a packet on Tuesday, July 29, that provides individualized payout information. Your supervisor is supposed to pick this up from Human Resources and deliver it to you.
2) The offer is 1.5 weeks of pay for each year of service up to 15 years. Anyone who has more than 15 years of service is eligible for an additional 2.5 weeks of pay per year. No one, regardless of length of service, can receive more than a total of 40 weeks of pay. In 2006, the maximum was 52 weeks of pay. If my rudimentary math skills hold, this means no staff member with more than 22 years of service can receive additional pay for their extra years. Non-contiguous years of service - unlike in 2006 - will not factor in your payout. No one eiligible for the buyout can receive less than two weeks of severance pay.
3) The medical benefits (to pay for COBRA insurance) offer is a maximum of six months. The maximum offer in 2006 was one year.
4) The buyout amount and the medical benefits for each staff member will be paid in a lump sum - minus 25 percent wittheld for income taxes.
5) The buyout period runs from August 11 through August 20. During this period, one can opt in or rescind a request. There is no additional time to rescind. The company will decide which buyout requests are accepted. The plan is to complete that process by August 25. Most of those who take the buyout will stay on the job until Sept. 12. Some people may be asked to stay longer because of the particular job they perform.
6) Jim Moroney stated in his email on Monday that the goal is to reduce the newsroom staff of the DMN (excluding Quick, Al Dia and Dallasnews.com) to 350. At present, the DMN newsroom staff numbers approximately 390. That translates into 40 jobs that need to be cut to avoid possible layoffs. Staff members who have announced prior to Monday that they are leaving the paper have already been counted in the 390.
If I have misstated or miscalculated any of this, I'm sure someone will correct me.
Day One
For those of you too new or addled to remember 2006, a blog was created to provide information to the staff regarding the company's buyout offer. The idea was to help supplement the information provided by the company and give some tips on how to decide whether the buyout was a good fit for each staff member individually. This will again be the aim of the blog.
For those who want to vent, this won't be the forum for you. In order to remain operational, the discourse on the blog needs to be kept on a professional level.
Mr. Sunbeam, your host, is not a spokesperson for or representative of anyone. He has no agenda other than to help out good people during a difficult time.
There will be no further messages posted through the DMN email system. You will have to check here for new postings. The email address is mr. sunbeam@gmail.com
That is all for now.
For those who want to vent, this won't be the forum for you. In order to remain operational, the discourse on the blog needs to be kept on a professional level.
Mr. Sunbeam, your host, is not a spokesperson for or representative of anyone. He has no agenda other than to help out good people during a difficult time.
There will be no further messages posted through the DMN email system. You will have to check here for new postings. The email address is mr. sunbeam@gmail.com
That is all for now.
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