Tue
Dec 6 2011
04:29 pm
Layoffs at KNS
By: Pam Strickland

Four news room employees were among the 33 KNS Media Group employees let go today.

In related news, word is that when JFM makes it official by going to his new post in the Rogero Administration, E.W. Scripps has said that they will not be filling the Managing Editor position at Metro Pulse.

Topics:
R. Neal's picture

Any former (or current)

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 4:34pm.

Any former (or current) employees who want to dish, name names, etc. please feel free to do so here, anonymously or otherwise.

Bystander's picture

Layoffs

Submitted by Bystander on Wed, 2011/12/07 - 12:35pm.

Knoxville News Sentinel really rode rough shod over a lot of loyal employees yesterday.
Many behind the scenes employees were let go w/ no notice at all, from housekeeping to classified ads, many lost their jobs right here at Christmas.
No longer will I, nor anybody I can convince to join me, be buying the paper as of today.
I have had a subscription for over twenty five years. Even as the paper continually rose in price, and decreased in size, in news, and added a ridiculous amount of sales material completely unrelated to the reasons I bought the paper, I continued to support them.
Now, w/ this, their latest slap in the face of the community, w/ the job market as it currently stands, to let all these loyal employees go, most of which have been there well over at least 10-15 years, right here only days before Christmas, they will not see one more dollar out me.
If money is the only bottom line, then, I say good luck to them, and the sooner they go completely under, the better it is to me.

Somebody's picture

I understand the sentiment,

Submitted by Somebody on Wed, 2011/12/07 - 12:50pm.

I understand the sentiment, but it doesn't exactly help the others who haven't lost their jobs over there yet, does it? There has to be a better way of registering disapproval of
KNS management's decision to can people, with no notice, during the holidays. If lots more people follow your lead, aren't you just assuring that a lot more long-time employees will suffer the same fate?

CathyMcCaughan's picture

Both Matt Wilson and Randall

Submitted by CathyMcCaughan on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 4:44pm.

Both Matt Wilson and Randall Brown have confirmed their pre-Christmas layoffs on Twitter.

cwg's picture

No

Submitted by cwg on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 4:46pm.

JFM will not be replaced at MP. But it's somewhat of a different situation.

Pam Strickland's picture

Yes, JFM's not being replaced

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:13pm.

Yes, JFM's not being replaced is a different situation, but I'm guessing it's going to be a hit. From where I sit, he produces a great deal. I find it difficult to believe that not filling that position isn't going to complicate getting the MP out every week -- as in make more work for every body whose still there -- which is what's going to happen for the folks at KNS too.

R. Neal's picture

Michael Silence, Dan Proctor,

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 4:59pm.

Michael Silence, Dan Proctor, Randall Brown (as previously mentioned), according to a source.

Somebody's picture

None of those names appear on

Submitted by Somebody on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:18pm.

None of those names appear on the KNS staff contacts page. Assuming they were previously listed, it would seem the digital eraser is activated quickly over there.

R. Neal's picture

I wonder if I still have a

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:20pm.

I wonder if I still have a guest blogger login on Michael Silence's blog? Probably not after just saying that.

UPDATE: Nope, it's gone.

tennesseevaluesauthority's picture

My guest log-in is gone, too.

Submitted by tennesseevalues... on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 6:05pm.

My guest log-in is gone, too. But it was worth looking.

CathyMcCaughan's picture

Add Nicole Miller to the

Submitted by CathyMcCaughan on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:35pm.

Add Nicole Miller to the list.

R. Neal's picture

Wonder how many of these

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:43pm.

Wonder how many of these folks will be back as contractors/freelancers. Seems like half their reporters and most of their columnists are freelance now.

bizgrrl's picture

How many people work at KNS?

Submitted by bizgrrl on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:46pm.

How many people work at KNS?

R. Neal's picture

The article says it was a

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:48pm.

The article says it was a 7.5% reduction in force, so that would make it about 440, or around 407 now.

kag's picture

This town feels so dark at

Submitted by kag on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 5:49pm.

This town feels so dark at the moment in so many ways. :-(

Mike Cohen's picture

KNS Layoffs

Submitted by Mike Cohen on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 6:00pm.

It's heartbreaking on every level. Michael Silence is a genuinely good guy and a pioneer in journalistic blogging. Randall Brown kept us all plugged into the great things happening around town. Dan Proctor is a good artist who's given almost his entire career to the Sentinel. Also he once saw the Ramone's in concert, which made him a bit of a hero to my kids.

All gifted, all in a piece of the media world that is more challenging every day. I am sure it pained management do do this. Many of these folks have been there a long, long time. Silence has been there almost 30 years.

Heartbreaking. You hope they get snapped up, but who knows who actially has budget to add them.

I'm pulling for all of them.

Rachel's picture

I am sure it pained

Submitted by Rachel on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 6:49pm.

I am sure it pained management do this.

Sadly, I'm not.

WhitesCreek's picture

So I guess there's No Silence

Submitted by WhitesCreek on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 7:03pm.

So I guess there's No Silence There.

Pam Strickland's picture

I was doing some volunteer

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 8:27pm.

I was doing some volunteer work this afternoon, and one of the people I was helping is married to someone who is retired from the paper. Of the four newsroom employees, he helped one of them get a job and had worked hand-in-hand with two others.

It's a sad day in Mudville.

Lisa Starbuck's picture

Michael Silence

Submitted by Lisa Starbuck on Tue, 2011/12/06 - 9:15pm.

Really hate to see Michael Silence leave the Sentinel - his was one of the Sentinel blogs that actually had useful/interesting content. I'll miss reading him and hope he does find a new home.

R. Neal's picture

We are told that Michael

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2011/12/07 - 12:09pm.

We are told that Michael Silence worked at the KNS for 29 years and 11 months.

mjw's picture

Hmm

Submitted by mjw on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 12:01am.

Saving the gold watch? Or the pension?

Pam Strickland's picture

In the past someone who was

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 11:06am.

In the past someone who was there 29 y, 11 m still got the retirement.

R. Neal's picture

We are told that Michael will

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 11:14am.

We are told that Michael will get retirement benefits. Insurance, not so much.

Pam Strickland's picture

It's my understanding that

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Wed, 2011/12/07 - 3:47pm.

It's my understanding that Dan Proctor was there at least 25 years. pgs

Factchecker's picture

Is it revenue?

Submitted by Factchecker on Wed, 2011/12/07 - 8:33pm.

I haven't noticed ads being down in the KNS. It was very thin for a couple of years following the Bush economic crash, but the Sunday papers seem thick as ever and full of slicks. This year's Thanksgiving edition was particularly stuffed of ads. So I wonder if their ad rates were lowered to get the volume up.

R. Neal's picture

Layoffs at Commercial Appeal,

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 11:14am.

Layoffs at Commercial Appeal, another Scripps paper:

(link...)

R. Neal's picture

E.W. Scripps reports loss for

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 11:16am.

Scripps shakeup after losses

E.W. Scripps reports loss for 2nd quarter

E.W. Scripps reports another loss for 3rd quarter

R. Neal's picture

Between yesterday's and

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 1:50pm.

Between yesterday's and today's sports section front page, I count ten bylines.

It appears to be six reporters on staff and four freelancers, judging from email addresses.

How many people do they have covering local government?

Rachel's picture

One for county (Donila), one

Submitted by Rachel on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 5:15pm.

One for county (Donila), one for city (Balloch). Ed Marcum covers MPC and there is a reporter covering the SB but I forget her name.

R. Neal's picture

That's what I though. With

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 5:32pm.

That's what I though. With those and Don Jacobs, Frank Munger, and Satterfield, isn't that about the entire "news" coverage? Oh, and occasionally Hayes Hickman. Whatever happened to Rebecca Ferrarr?

P.S. And I almost forgot, Lance Coleman who they brought over from Blount Today who is pretty good. He was mostly covering Blount but I've seen his byline on some other reports.

SnM's picture

She retired a few months ago.

Submitted by SnM on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 5:35pm.

She retired a few months ago.

KNS had an ad out a while back for a city gov reporter. That hire may have fallen by the wayside in light of the layoffs, but I don't know.

Rachel's picture

They oughta give that beat

Submitted by Rachel on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 5:37pm.

They oughta give that beat (city gov) back to Hayes. He did a fine job at it.

Never have understood why he got stuck with the night police beat instead.

R. Neal's picture

He pissed off the wrong

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 5:41pm.

He pissed off the wrong person, most likely.

Rachel's picture

My assumption too. Just

Submitted by Rachel on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 8:18pm.

My assumption too. Just wonder if it was TPTB at the KNS or TPTB out in the community.

Anyhow, he did an excellent job. Now I hear they're bringing a new person in. How long do you think it will take him/her to learn the players, learn city govt, learn local issues and their background?

Sheesh; I'm close to talking myself into canceling my subscription, a conversation I have with myself every time the bill comes due.

R. Neal's picture

Also, Josh Flory and Carly

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 5:41pm.

Also, Josh Flory and Carly Harrington cover business news. I think Megan Boehnkel is the SB reporter. And Lydia McCoy. Also forgot about Matt Lankin, who occasionally does crime or something?

kag's picture

Rebecca retired recently

Submitted by kag on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 9:04pm.

Rebecca retired recently following a long and well respected career.

Pam Strickland's picture

Meghan covers UT and higher

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Thu, 2011/12/08 - 10:26pm.

Meghan covers UT and higher ed. Lydia covers the school board.

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