Newspapers’ Wounds Are Self-Inflicted
Most of the newspaper industry’s wounds are self-inflicted. Here’s another example.
In several instances over the last few years, whole departments in newspapers have streamlined and modernized in order to become more efficient. Operations were centralized between sister papers. Staffing reduced. Procedures revamped. Efficiencies effected.
Employees were given expensive coaching on how to handle change. How to find misplaced cheese. How to sit at the feet of animals to learn values. How to root around in other employees’ silage.
Then, as soon as revamped operational plans were proven, entire departmental functions were sent to Asia. In short, employees who sacrificed and worked to make their companies more efficient and profitable were rewarded, ultimately, with unemployment. Their jobs were not eliminated but simply given to other people on another continent.
If you find a newspaper company that has recently implemented or is currently using what they call ‘quality management principles,’ you may want to look beyond the rhetoric. See if the aim is effecting efficiency or simply reducing costs.
The former, if done well, will accomplish the second as a by-product.
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