Sunday, October 26, 2008

News at the Globe, but the Globe is not telling anyone about it

At least 15 full or part-time employees were fired Thursday at the Joplin Globe, including veteran Mike Surbrugg, who has been with the newspaper for decades.

Three days have passed since the workers were escorted from the Globe premises, yet not one word has been printed in the newspaper.

undeniably, the Globe has the First Amendment right to publish what it wants and if it decides it is not the public's business to know what happens behind its hallowed doors, it is entirely within its rights to do that- But what kind of message is that to be sending from a newspaper whose editors are quick to criticize others for keeping information from the public.

It is not as if the Globe does not consider employee layoffs to be news. The newspapers archives are filled with articles about companies cutting jobs. A few examples include:

-Jan. 16, 2008: System and Services Technologies, Inc., announced plans to lay off 40 employees.

-Aug. 23, 2008: Six hundred employees out of work with closing of Superior Industries plant in Pittsburg

-March 2007: Joplin Workshops, Inc., announced plans to lay off 21 workers.

-Dec. 3, 2006: Precious Moments, Carthage, announced the layoffs of 11 full-time and 29 part-time workers

-Oct. 19, 2006: City of Joplin announces plans to eliminate the job of clubhouse manager at Schifferdecker. This one was so important that it required two bylines, Mike Dwyer and Derek Spellman.

-Feb. 3, 2007: Talbot Industries in Neosho cut 54 jobs.

This partial list does not even include one story after another when OSullivan Industries in Lamar was eliminating jobs.

If members of Joplin Globe management expect news sources to be open and honest with them, it is time for the Globe to show the way.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Randy, I seldom agree with you but on this one you got it right.

Jason said...

You make a good point, Randy. It's hard to make a claim of honesty and integrity if when the times get tough for you the response is to hide the truth.

Edward Padgett said...

Hey Randy, we started another round of layoffs last Monday October 20th at the Los Angeles Times, but not a word was mentioned in our newspaper till seventy-five in editorial were cut yesterday. I suppose the men and women in Operations don’t have mortgages, dependants or need to eat, and somehow are not counted in the newspaper business when downsizing occurs?

The Blogging Pressman