In your outrageous Tuesday media column: a publisher thinks it is the boss of the DC press corps, some good news for newspaper pay walls, a Yemeni journalist is jailed for "assisting" al Qaeda, and staff departures at the NYDN.
American Media Inc., publisher of the National Enquirer and Star, is freshly emerged from bankruptcy, and already cutting costs with layoffs and mandatory unpaid furloughs. Now, we hear AMI's beleaguered employees are on the verge of total revolt.
An anonymous MySpace employee says company executives tricked workers into sweatshop-ish overwork to save the foundering social network, only to turn around and lay half of them off. The executives' supposed real motivation: Getting rich in a MySpace spinoff.
Well, that was fast: Barely two months after a big redesign, MySpace is planning to lay off half its staff, according to news reports. So much for the flailing social network's supposed turnaround.
Organizing for America, the president's political operation that will eventually "morph" into his next presidential campaign, has kicked off its transition to the 2012 race with... staff layoffs. Finally! Now they're free to work for America's real savior, Mitt Romney.
Rumor had it that the pioneering social bookmarking company Del.ic.ious was going to be shuttered amid Yahoo's Christmas layoff rampage. A "save delicious" petition was even circulated! It's actually being sold, not shut down. All four Delicious users, rejoice.
Yahoo will lay off around 700 employees today, All Things Digital reports. Fired workers will have to leave their buildings immediately. A security escort is a terrible Christmas present — especially since Yahoo gave the same gift two years ago.
David W. Johnson, the extremely close aide to New York Gov. David Paterson who was charged this year with assaulting his girlfriend—a case that unraveled his boss' political career—was finally fired today after nine months of unpaid leave.
On November 11 for the past two years, Al Gore's Current TV has laid off a bunch of staffers. In 2008, 32 people were axed; 80 more were dismissed in 2009. With 11/11 upon us tomorrow, employees are getting nervous.
Digg will cut 25 of 67 staff, said the social news site's new CEO. Users and executives have been defecting, but Digg will still have 10 times as many staff as rival Reddit. Now it just needs Reddit's outsized momentum.
In your to-the-point Tuesday media column: Mike Wise gets suspended, big layoffs at the Deseret News, CBS Evening News is in the dumps, and Nick Sylvester speaks.
Rich man Sidney Harman bought Newsweek a few weeks ago, and everyone's been wondering when the real changes would come down. Several editorial stars have already left the magazine; now, a tipster tells us, significant layoffs are on the way.
The Washington Times, America's creakiest newspaper, started off 2010 by boldly firing 40% of its staff. Now, the paper has boldly fired its publisher. Which may be the smartest thing it's done this year.
In your proxy Friday media column: MSNBC's David Shuster shot a pilot for CNN, Barack Obama demands (metaphorical!) oral sex from reporters, Smithsonian magazine stiffs a war-damaged correspondent, and losing just $80 million means you're Publisher of the Year.
In your untrustworthy Wednesday media column: College journalists prepare for a wild April Fools, Alexander Lebedev's not in it for the money, Wonkette loses a writer, and layoffs hit USNWR.
In your malevolent Monday media column: another round of layoffs hits the AP, refereeing Henry Blodget vs. Felix Salmon, Starbucks liberals in bed with Roger Ailes, and Gerald Boyd's kind of sad memoir.
In your counterfeit Friday media column: Rupert Murdoch launches the first volley in the new paywall wars, ABC News employees face a buyout deadline, Forbes loses a key editor, and Variety throws a hissyfit.