reception is mixed. there were rumors that the dmes [Deputy Managing Editors] had tried to stage a palace coup last week. this may be tierney‘s way of paying back their disloyalty. i can’t imagine that marimow will want to keep them on. those suspected of signing the petition for amanda‘s removal looked very glum. amanda appeared to be taking it bravely. i thought she looked relieved, though some seemed to think she was biting back tears.
Some believe ann [Gordon] will stay on long enough to be the hatchet woman.
as far as marimow [pictured lower right, demonstrating how he goes in for a lay-up] goes, he still knows just about everybody’s name and continues to inspire a lot of faith. he did state that when he first came on board in 1973 the staff was only 237 people. its over 400 now.
some old hands seemed to think marimow “drank the koolaid”, after all, he resigned from the balt sun rather than make draconian cuts.
however, tierney kinda let it slip that 150 layoffs would be the worst possible case scenario and gave the impression it would be unlikely.
Marimow pointed out that he’d spent more time on picket lines than probably any one in the
room. He was on the line for 22 days and worked as a cabbie in 77 and picketed for 46 days in 1985.
He emphasized the paper would continue to focus on regional issues, spotlighting big breaking stories, and high school sports.
Tierney said merging the DN with the Inq “had not been discussd”.
He said that before anyone was laid off they’d get rid of inefficiencies first “We’re wasting a lot of money,” he said.
Tierney also said he’d met with the 2nd banana at LAT, the top guys at the Globe, Chicago and Dallas where they also were dealing with a loss of national advertising.
He said he could probably sell $25 million of advertising himself, but that wouldn’t be enough to offset national losses. They were down $2 million for both Nov. and Dec.
Marimow said it would be unlikely that the paper would continue to send “battalions” of writers to cover non-regional stories pointing to katrina and the iraq war as examples Trudy Rubin asked if we’d still have a wash bureau and send people overseas. Marimow said “I don’t know.”
Marimow said he called [Gene] Roberts the first thing this morning to let him know.
Tierney said the company was investing $1million into the online operation.
Talking about how the news room would operate after layoffs and budget restrictions, Tierney said “It’s for you (pointing to Marimow) and this group to figure out.”
NY Times: Editor of Philadelphia Inquirer Ousted
Reuters: Damn, That Phawker Is GOOD
American Journalism Review: “[T]he paper Marimow returns to is a mere shell of the one he left. The man who battled staff cuts in Baltimore and lost his job in the process is joining a news organization with far fewer resources to do the ambitious journalism he loves so well.”
Editor & Publisher: “It is a potentially brilliant strategic move by our esteemed owners. If you want to get the newsroom off your back, bring in someone like Bill Marimow – he is revered around here.”