Asheville News

Clock is ticking for Gannett employees

Jason Sandford November 8, 2008

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

The latest from Gannett Blog says that Gannett-owned newspapers around the country, including the Asheville Citizen-Times, have offered people the chance to be voluntarily laid off in advance of a planned lay-off in December. The idea is that workers can step up now and take one week’s pay for every year of service in an attempt to save the jobs of other co-workers who might get cut. Gannett has said it will lay off 10 percent of its workforce by year’s end.

It’s just more bad news for the employees hanging on at the Asheville Citizen-Times, which this week jacked up the price of a newspaper off the street from 50 cents to 75 cents and has laid off about 10 people so far this year.
The price increase turned out to be good move in the short run, seeing as how people around the country snapped up newspapers the day after an historic presidential election that saw the U.S. elect an African-American man for the first time ever. I see that on Sunday, the Citizen-Times will offer a commemorative reprint of Wednesday’s newspaper.

But overall, it’s just grim at 14 O. Henry Ave. Despite the rush of the election coverage, I’ve heard from more than one person that morale at the Citizen-Times is at an all-time low. Everybody has a resume circulating. Everybody is scared. Where is this all going? Nobody seems to know, and nobody is talking about it.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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3 Comments

Deborah November 10, 2008

Bryan and Chad — there are many things I don’t agree with either of you about — but I think both your posts are right on the money. The AC-T used to be such a quality local newspaper and I am proud to have worked there when it was top-notch.
From my perspective, Susan Inhe and that dude from Hawaai destroyed years of hard work by a talented, dedicated newsroom that I would have put up against any in the country.
The AC-T hasn’t been the same since Bob Gabordi and Virgil Smith moved on.
And Bryan — you are the last person on Earth I would expect to criticize Joy.
Yes, she’s liberal, but she is also smart and seems to be in tune with the majority in WNC.

Such a shame that the AC-T is going down with Ganett— lots of good people there.
But the MtnX does a great job — and so does Ash!
And don’t count altenatives like the Tribune out. They do a great job.

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Bryan Freeborn November 9, 2008

You make a great point Chad. The AC-T also needs to clean house of folks like Joy Franklin and the rest of the editorial board. They are only interested in a do nothing community agenda.

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Chad Nesbitt November 8, 2008

Everything is going internet. Those that still read the ACT are not computer savey. They are litteraly dieing. Just like the oldtimers that I was so fond of in the Democrat party. They are literaly dieing off.

The Xpress is hip. It has a cool look to it and I think appeals to everyone, especialy the youth. It’s fair. ACT is not and that’s provable.

Beleive it or not, I think the Tribune is coming on strong with their breaking off into a community paper like the Leicester Leader. Positive, school oriented, affordable advertising, local news.

Nationaly, Fox News is scare tatics TV.
All the other news media is Obama TV.

But my fave is the Xpress and blogs like yours. Please, no matter what your personal prefrence is, keep printing the truth on both the Republicans and Democrats . And for God’s sakes keep that sence of humor. You do these 2 things and you will sell papers forever.

ps excuse the mispells – dislexic – i’m serious. College grad but…….just be glad you don’t have to read my post in a mirror.

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