December 1, 2022 newsletter

November – it was a challenging month.

#NEWS – it’s all local, am I right?

On Gannett

1a/ On Friday, Nov. 4, #Gannett staffers walked out.

By the late evening, $8,174 had been raised in a GoFundMe campaign. The #gannettwalkout hashtag was used across Twitter by supporters and participants alike.

Employees are demanding equity.

“We aim to remind Gannett where the value in its company lies – its workers.”

1b/ Nov. 9: USAT – Maribel Perez Wadsworth, head of Gannett Media, to leave

“A Wednesday statement from Gannett thanked Wadsworth for her service and says the company “will leverage the depth and breadth of its talented executives to manage the Gannett Media organization during this transition.” Reed said Gannett will be restructuring its media organization in the interim.”

1c/ Nov 17: POYNTER – A new round of layoffs have been announced by Gannett, to occur Dec. 1 and 2.

Anton told me in her email, “While incredibly difficult, we felt it was important to be transparent that further efficiencies will be implemented across the company as we decisively respond to the ongoing macroeconomic volatility to continue propelling Gannett’s future.”

The news division is also in the midst of a reorganization announced a week ago that will split its smaller dailies and some weeklies into a new Center for Community Journalism division.

Questions, but few answers.

As a Gannett employee, I am careful with my words here.

Objectively, at what point will there be no one left to layoff? The company is not liquidating, yet; but at its’ current rate of layoffs, the workforce will be left with zero journalists to do the work necessary to help prop up the product – and more importantly, to support and defend democracy. Yes, it is a product. If the strength of the product is the strength of the newsrooms, when does the bloodletting cease? Does legacy journalism survive? Should it? Or, do new forms of service journalism – specifically ones classified as nonprofits fill the void? What about the already existent news deserts?

Recent examples of what healthy models of non-profit journalism look like in Ohio. Will they endure?

Recent upstart Signal Cleveland seems to get it. So does The Land.
The Portager capitalized on the growing desert, too.
The Marshall Project also capitalizes upon the need for independent journalism, focusing solely upon criminal justice.
Eye on Ohio was incorporated in the state of Ohio in August 2012 to advance the practice of non-profit investigative journalism.

I don’t have answers. I just know how I feel, and the anxiety is at times personally crippling. One day remains until layoffs are announced, and it’s hard to get anything done.

1e/ Nov. 17: Poynter followed up with this article on newly announced layoffs, coming on the heels of a round some of us recently survived.

1f/ There is help out there:

fromInside The Newsroom. You can find them across the usual SM platforms, including on Substack (subscription required) linked above. As mentioned in their Tweet, you can also DM them. Click here to view their job board.

from Kati Kokal, Education reporter @pbpost + @poynter fellow – she says in a Tweet thread here:

“ … We have no idea how many people will be impacted, but we know people will need help ahead of the holidays. If you’d like to donate any form of aid, fill out this form:”

FORM LINK FOR COMMUNITY AID DONATIONS

1g/ NYT: Gannett Starts Another Round of Staff Cuts

The largest newspaper chain is cutting roughly 6 percent of its 3,440-person U.S. media division.

2/ Congratulations to the recently announced October ONPA Monthly Clip Contest winners!

3/ A new low in newsphotography.

4/ Remember this startup from Kenneth Jarecke?

“THE CURIOUS SOCIETY IS A MEMBER SUPPORTED 501(C)3 CREATED TO EDUCATE AND SUPPORT PHOTOGRAPHERS WORKING IN THE PHOTOJOURNALIST TRADITION.”

The project hit some setbacks, and is relaunching. Read about it here.

5/ The hits keep coming. As I look to wrap up this November edition of the ONPA President’s Newsletter, Barbara Davidson and Michael Robinson Chavez individually report that the Washington Post Magazine is shutting down. You can read about why, here.

Five of the 40 Washington Post stories that drew the most online readers over the past year were produced by the magazine.

“Buzbee told magazine staff in a meeting that the decision was “no reflection on the quality of your work,” according to attendees who requested anonymity to describe internal conversations. When pressed by the staff for details, she said “economic headwinds” were a factor in the decision to stop printing the magazine.”

#PEOPLE

1/ Thanks to Jeff Dean, a Cincinatti based freelancer, for reaching out via email! He’s got some terrific work over on his website.

2/ Ed Zirkle emailed on Friday, Nov. 25 to say that he has returned from the Ukraine. Hopefully we can get him in front of Lori’s microphone for a special edition podcast of the Buckeye Visualist. Glad you’re back safe, Ed!

#INSPIRATIONS – worldwide

1/ Jose Carlos Fajardo is a frequent source of levity and inspiration. His recent Tweet of a picture of Pulitzer Prize winning San Francisco Chronicle staff photographer Scott Strazzante is something many sports photographers have experienced on pro sidelines. We all have to work together.

3/ From the Ethical Journalism Network comes this: “PHOTOGRAPHING UKRAINE: “WHAT RIGHT DOES ANY OF US HAVE TO TELL OTHER PEOPLE’S STORIES?”

h/t to Sue Morrow for sharing this in her contribution to the NPPA newsletter.

It’s incumbent upon all of us before any assignment to take a moment – or whatever amount of time is necessary, and carefully examine the ‘why’? No longer are the days of using the First Amendment or press freedom as a crutch to solely support our raison d’être.

4a/ The work of Stephen Voss makes frequent appearances here. I am consistently highly inspired by all that he produces no matter the subject.

4b/ Stephen just recently shared how one of the water droplet pictures was used.

5/ Despite how you may feel about Elon Musk, this is ONE HELL OF A PICTURE by Aaron Favila. ‘Man behind the curtain’ vibes all the way.

6/ Michael Johnston, “On The Secret Art of the Family Photo”

“All photographers encounter a variety of impediments and difficulties in their work; it’s part of the game. Family photography is no exception.”

7/ Festival and parade season in Ohio is lengthy. As a parent, I too can directly relate the sentiment shared by commenter Brian Bachinsky in this photo from John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune staff photographer. His accounts across SM are good follows.

8/ This recent Instagram post by the Pro Football Hall of Fame is an incredible photo and story.

9/ Time’s Top 100 photos of 2022.

“It’s different this time.”

— Katherine Pomerantz, Director of Photography

10/ The elevation of the building mug, from Carlos Avila Gonzalez, staff photographer at the San Francisco Chronicle. Original Tweet by Carlos, here. Article on the Transamerica building, here.

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