Above: The video editing desk, sans me.
At 5:30 today, I walked out the doors of the Springfield News-Leader as a reporter for the final time.
Only three hours prior, I had been notified by Executive Editor Don Wyatt that my position as Multimedia Reporter had been eliminated by corporate. I proceeded to spend the next three hours wiping my work laptop’s hard drive, packing my important items and making the rounds to tell everyone goodbye.
The layoffs that the Gannett Corporation have imposed are a source of major confusion to many, including myself. Why, if the corporate folks at McLean say their future is digital content including live video, would they lay off a videographer?
I don’t know the answer to that, and I’ll never know. And you know what? That’s okay with me.
Fifteen months ago, I began my job at the N-L after having met Pam Baccam, the prior multimedia reporter, by chance just months before. I had been working at a local RadioShack to try to make ends meet, and she came in one night asking for a microphone windscreen. I told her, while helping her find what she needed, that I was a videographer in the Air Force and I had also freelanced at KPTV in Portland, Oregon. She then told me to contact her — and the rest is history.
I don’t believe that happened by chance. The Lord opened the door for me to get the job, and it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It just so happens that today, he closed that door fifteen months after he opened it.
I covered stories from a two-headed calf being born in a nearby town, to one-on-one interviews with Presidential candidates when they came to Springfield. I loved shooting sports events here, notably when the U.S. Olympic softball team came to town last July.
It’s all over now, sadly.
The worst part of being laid off isn’t so much losing my sole source of income, but rather the great people I worked with. They’ve been through hell too, trying to make sense of the changing face of the newspaper industry and making something good out of so little being afforded to them. Everyone I worked with in that newsroom was great, from the copy editors all the way up to the editorial staff.
I can’t think of one bad word to say about my time at the News-Leader other than I wish we promoted online multimedia a little more. Ad revenue just isn’t there, and that’s not only why my videos received little promotion, but also a major factor as to why I am unemployed.
Today I walked out of the office with my head held high and told my co-workers and friends in the building that I pray the Lord’s blessings upon their lives. I really mean that, too — I still care about everyone there and want the very best for them. I also told them I hope Gannett pulls its collective head out from where the sun doesn’t shine and begins to treat its employees with a little more respect.
My next chapter in life is to move back home at the end of July. More details on that will be forthcoming, but I fully expect to have a new job and be living with friends in Vancouver or Camas, Washington in a little over a month.
Finally, I implore everyone out there to please support the work of the people at the News-Leader. Especially the multimedia department as they’re going to have to figure out a way to balance both photo and video among a staff of six. Please support the paper in general, as well. Buy it. Read it.
At the end of the day, and now at the end of my time at the News-Leader, I am able to say that I did the best work I possibly could, and I hope that I was a blessing to everyone in what I did. My job was nothing less than enjoyable and I am so very blessed to have been able to perform a job I truly loved, with people I loved to work with.
My thanks go out to everyone who helped me and befriended me, not only in the News-Leader but also the other media outlets here in Springfield. There are too many people to name, but you know who you are and I appreciate you so very much.
The layoff happened all too soon for my liking, and not on my own terms. But God has a plan for my life, and I resign myself to that.
Of course, I only now have fully learned to do so.
Sadly, the News-Leader has very little to offer, especially in light of its cost and behaviour. As an employee of Missouri State University, I feel a bit betrayed by them… the NL seems to have lost sight of the same thing so many newspapers continue to fail to realize: the world is smaller now and yet people still crave community… what’s more, the concept of community has expanded dramatically.
I don’t get the sense of “we’re all in this together” from newspapers. Rather, they seem to only be in it for themselves.
Hi Chris,
I knew layoffs were coming today, but very surprised to hear that you were among them. Springfield is losing another good journalist and frankly, we just don’t have a huge supply of them around any more. Best of luck with your new adventures out west.
Matthew–
You’d be surprised at how well our newsroom came together to offer support to each other from the time the very first layoffs were announced.
Kathy–
Thank you for the kind words, and my best to you as well.
I’m sorry to see you go. Gannett seems to be turning its back on the future of media. The standard website template Gannett uses for all of their papers is impossible to navigate and not user friendly at all, which I’m sure leads to the failure of their online presence.
I agree with Matthew on the lack of community spirit coming from the newspaper. Negativity is why I canceled my subscription. I look to my local newspaper to uphold the community, not attacking city and county government, printing biased articles.
I hope that eventually Gannett fails and is forced to start selling off these community newspapers to the actual communities they serve. Until then I’ll be supporting the SBJ and the Community Free Press.
Good luck.
I’m so sad to hear you’re leaving MO. :( Keep on making those great videos and taking great pictures.
You’re in my prayers man. You needed to go back home. You really needed to get out of Springfield. This is a blessing…you just can’t see it right now.
Chris, I’m a former newspaper reporter, now in marketing. I started my career with Gannett and worked for 3 Gannett papers before moving on to Knight Ridder and later McClatchy. (Early in my career, I worked with Kate Marymont.)
You’re taking this event with more grace than many would. I don’t think anyone would begrudge you the “where the sun don’t shine” remark!
And I, like many, am left scratching my head over why Gannett would let you and others like you go as they make the transition to a digital environment.
The struggles of the newspaper business are painful to everyone who is in it, everyone who has left and everyone who simply values what newspapers provide.
I don’t have any magic words to make you feel better, but you went out with dignity, integrity and class. That’s worth something.
I’m sorry to hear you were laid off, Chris but, as long as you continue to rely on God and trust it is all in His hands, I have no doubt everything will work out for your good. That is God’s promise to those who love Him.
In the meantime, I will pray for you as you come to mind (and you WILL come to mind).
May God bless you as you seek direction from Him!
Chris,
Sorry you got laid off. Gannett’s strategy for surviving the current economic situation is stupid and doomed.
Now that you are no longer employed there, I’m hoping you will answer a couple of questions:
1. Were you the only newsroom staffer laid off in this latest round?
2. Why hasn’t data on City Utilities salaries been updated since 2006?
3. I heard quite a while ago that the News-Leader had obtained the data about LAGERS pension payments to former Springfield city and CU employees, but that for some reason (pressure from city and CU officials?) it never was put up on the website. Any truth to that?
Good luck in finding a new employer who will better appreciate and reward your talents.
Walter, I can only answer Question #1 definitively, and the answer is no. We had someone else in the newsroom go too. I won’t mention their name or position for confidentiality reasons.
As for questions 2 or 3, I didn’t have much to do with data collection (that would be the data editor’s job) or anything about LAGERS (that would be something for the metro desk). Wish I could help you but I know nothing about the questions.
Thank you, Chris. I no longer live in Springfield, but I continue to follow stories of interest to me there via the News-Leader website. I have been dismayed at the newspaper’s plummet in quality. Your departure will only diminish the paper even more.
Best of luck to you.