Although both men are of retirement age, neither wanted to retire. They were forced out as the paper continues to cut payroll. Don't expect to see any announcement of this transaction in the newspaper, and I'm told that additional staff cuts are probably coming.
Readers might not notice the absence of Larry and Royce, but you can bet they will be missed by their former colleagues. Their names appeared in the paper only once a year, when the newspaper celebrated its 20-year-plus employees. That list is a lot shorter than it used to be.
Knowledge of the newspaper business, from the hot-type, letter-press days in a downtown facility when Larry and Royce started, to the computer-driven production of today, runs through their veins like printer's ink. They've lived through and adapted to all the many changes in newspaper production over the past 50 years. Few people in the country can make that claim. Both had been faithfully loyal to the newspaper and its owners from the day the current publisher's grandmother hired them. And you'll never find a more helpful, cooperative and even-tempered colleague than Larry Sullivan.
Newspapers across the country are shedding employees, and some experienced old hands are being let go at other papers, too. Newspapers are losing not only loyal employees and decades of experience but also institutional memory. This is especially important in the news end, where it's important to know what happened 10 or 20 years ago or to recognize a name in the obituaries who long ago had been a celebrated or notorious local character.
Both men, I'm told, declined an offer of a retirement party — they saw no reason to celebrate a "retirement" they didn't want. There's a cliche about "biting the hand that feeds you," but this situation is the opposite — kicking that loyal dog who had only wanted to please you and then dumping him by the side of the road because it costs too much to feed him.
"...kicking that loyal dog who had only wanted to please you and then dumping him by the side of the road because it costs too much to feed him....'
ReplyDeleteHas nothing to do with raising the minimum wage either. Such are the effects of free market, employment at will, corporate capitalism. The real cliche or paradox, are those who defend it, or claim "that's just the way it is".... until it happens to them.
In my humble opinion the Wilson Daily Times is not worth reading. Most of the stories leave out the important questions and there is little if any follow-up. I have also noticed there seems to be more corrections printed in the days following a story because they can't get the facts right.
ReplyDeleteIf they continue down the path they are headed, this newspaper is doomed. I also find it pathetic Mr. Dickerman would write an editorial entitled "142 reasons we're relevant". Why on earth would a newspaper have to explain why its relevant? How lame!!
Well Dang!
ReplyDeleteHaving worked with both Royce and Larry for the short amount of time as a photographer with the WDT, I can say they are probably some of the most talented and well versed in their field.
Larry worked wonders with any image that was brought in; a reader contributed photo that seemed hopeless with terrible exposure, Larry could magically transform it into something usable. Larry's knowledge of new and historic photo and printing technologies is something I always tried to learn from the guru of the camera room.
Royce could fix anything. I had a strobe with a troublesome hot-shoe that would short out or flash spontaneously, Royce used a few spare parts from a 1980's Pentax 35mm film camera to help fix it. Royce helped the WDT save money by repairing something that could have easily turned into a $100 camera repair bill. I imagine Royce's knowledge of equipment maintenance saved the WDT a mountain of costly repairs over the past half century.
Although not surprising, I've seen and have experienced the WDT making abrupt decisions in "letting go" some of the best and experienced news media talent around. Newspapers in neighboring towns of similar population and economy have also made some harsh cuts, but their initial staff have been retained and have even been expanded. So, what's wrong with this picture?
Gosh, that stinks. I remember both those guys from my short stint as a kid reporter 10 years ago at the WDT. It's always been kind of a sad story the way some papers treated their most loyal workers, who in almost every paper I've been familiar with, have been the press guys. It's gotten even worse now that so many papers are giving up printing in-house.
ReplyDeleteThese are the people who tie a newspaper to the community that it's in. They're the guys who come to the newsroom and say that the son of a kid in their Legion post is going to Harvard on a scholarship, or that their neighbor just got arrested for something.
Without that kind of community tie, local papers become a reflection of the rootless, poorly compensated young reporters and editors who create them.