Sinking ships

I've been away for a bit (lots of changes) but I have kept up with news about newspapers and it just gets worse.

The Tribune Company (Chicago Trib, LA Times, among others) has filed for bankruptcy. Thanks to a mound of debt accrued when it bought out Knight Ridder, McClatchy has the Miami Herald for sale. Sadly, rumored buyers include a real estate developer and a Big Sugar family, per Bob Norman's Daily Pulp. Also for sale is the Rocky Mountain News, which will close if no buyer is found within the next month or so. This would leave Denver with one newspaper, which is run, unfortunately, by Dean Singleton.

Unfortunate, because he once said this: "We, as an industry, got carried away with investigative reporting," he complained. "We investigated everything that moved, while circulation plummeted because our readers didn't want it. Some people say we owe it to readers to give them what they need. Bullshit."

Granted, he changed his tune in later interviews. Let's hope he stick with that, especially if the RMN disappears.

Layoffs are nothing new for newspapers and they continue: Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Dallas, Tampa, LA, San Jose, Seattle, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, Raleigh, Fort Worth, Newark ... well you get the picture.

I had been debating whether I would even consider applying for a newspaper job but this year has decided it. I'm focusing my job search on public relations, advertising, marketing or whatever else strikes my fancy. I will continue looking at writing and editing jobs on the Internet.

For someone who grew up surrounded by newspaper ink and has planned to work for those papers since high school, it's a sad time. It's a sad time for us all.