Friday was a sad and extraordinary day at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where Pam and Chris work. Twenty-four of our newsroom colleagues took buyouts related to the recent sale of the Strib to Avista Capital, an oil-drilling and medical-waste firm that has no newspaper experience and that's expected to make some money off the paper, then sell it in a few years. The 24 won't be replaced, and more job losses, including layoffs, are possible. Many of the departing folks, including Jim Landberg, Al Sicherman and Dane Smith, are friends. The mass departure marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new and uncertain one for print newspapers. Only time will tell where we will land.
Photos from our Black Friday, after the video of the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band:
1 and 2: The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band thunder-marched through the newsroom, solemnly playing Celtic dirges. Everyone stood up, and lots of people wept, as you can see in the photos that follow. There was just something about it.
3: Veteran state reporter Robert Franklin, who is leaving, gave a funny speech after stripping down to a shirt from the good old days.
4: Paul Klauda, one of our most respected managers, was emotional as he gave beautifully crafted goodbye tributes. (It was a hard day for everyone. Later, manager Dennis McGrath fainted while giving a speech, an event that added to the day's sadness and solemnity.)
5: Copy editor Jim Landberg, who is retiring, and reporters Bob Von Sternberg and Mary Jane Smetanka listened to the bagpipers play "Amazing Grace." No eye was dry. JimL is famous for cranky, funny phrases on intense work nights, such as, "Is it too late to change my major?" and "How about redoing this sentence in English?"
6: Sport clerk Terri Farris, reporter Mike Kaszuba and copy editor Jim Kern signed 24 goodbye cards.
7: Ethics columnist/restaurant reviewer Jeremy Iggers and food writer "Uncle Al" Sicherman gave goodbye speeches. Al is a Stribber particularly beloved of colleagues and readers. He writes great, funny food items and columns. He also wrote one of the best-written, best-read, most heart-wrenching stories the Strib has ever run back in 1989, when his beloved son Joe died after jumping out of a UW-Madison dorm window after taking LSD. As Al always says, "Kids, please don't do drugs, and parents, hug your kids." Click
here to read that unforgettable column.
8: Books editor Sarah T. Williams hugged Uncle Al.
9: Interim investigations editor Eric Wieffering, researcher Sandy Date, education editor Maureen McCarthy and cops reporter Chao Xiong listened to the Irish dirges.
10: Taste editor Lee Svitak Dean and consumer products reporter John Ewoldt.
11: Features reporter Gail Rosenblum and Home & Garden editor Connie Nelson.
12: Metro columnist Doug Grow, who was one of the organizers of the Irish wake, and projects editor Laurie Hertzel. Behind them are designer Ray Grumney and reporter Paul Levy.
13: Metro columnist Nick Coleman, a hothead in a nice hat, explained in his characteristically demure style how the Irish allegedly threw the Vikings out of Ireland.
Friday was a sad and extraordinary day at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where Pam and Chris work. Twenty-four of our newsroom colleagues took buyouts related to the recent sale of the Strib to Avista Capital, an oil-drilling and medical-waste firm that has no newspaper experience and that's expected to make some money off the paper, then sell it in a few years. The 24 won't be replaced, and more job losses, including layoffs, are possible. Many of the departing folks, including Jim Landberg, Al Sicherman and Dane Smith, are friends. The mass departure marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new and uncertain one for print newspapers. Only time will tell where we will land.
Photos from our Black Friday, after the video of the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band:
1 and 2: The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band thunder-marched through the newsroom, solemnly playing Celtic dirges. Everyone stood up, and lots of people wept, as you can see in the photos that follow. There was just something about it.
3: Veteran state reporter Robert Franklin, who is leaving, gave a funny speech after stripping down to a shirt from the good old days.
4: Paul Klauda, one of our most respected managers, was emotional as he gave beautifully crafted goodbye tributes. (It was a hard day for everyone. Later, manager Dennis McGrath fainted while giving a speech, an event that added to the day's sadness and solemnity.)
5: Copy editor Jim Landberg, who is retiring, and reporters Bob Von Sternberg and Mary Jane Smetanka listened to the bagpipers play "Amazing Grace." No eye was dry. JimL is famous for cranky, funny phrases on intense work nights, such as, "Is it too late to change my major?" and "How about redoing this sentence in English?"
6: Sport clerk Terri Farris, reporter Mike Kaszuba and copy editor Jim Kern signed 24 goodbye cards.
7: Ethics columnist/restaurant reviewer Jeremy Iggers and food writer "Uncle Al" Sicherman gave goodbye speeches. Al is a Stribber particularly beloved of colleagues and readers. He writes great, funny food items and columns. He also wrote one of the best-written, best-read, most heart-wrenching stories the Strib has ever run back in 1989, when his beloved son Joe died after jumping out of a UW-Madison dorm window after taking LSD. As Al always says, "Kids, please don't do drugs, and parents, hug your kids." Click here to read that unforgettable column.
8: Books editor Sarah T. Williams hugged Uncle Al.
9: Interim investigations editor Eric Wieffering, researcher Sandy Date, education editor Maureen McCarthy and cops reporter Chao Xiong listened to the Irish dirges.
10: Taste editor Lee Svitak Dean and consumer products reporter John Ewoldt.
11: Features reporter Gail Rosenblum and Home & Garden editor Connie Nelson.
12: Metro columnist Doug Grow, who was one of the organizers of the Irish wake, and projects editor Laurie Hertzel. Behind them are designer Ray Grumney and reporter Paul Levy.
13: Metro columnist Nick Coleman, a hothead in a nice hat, explained in his characteristically demure style how the Irish allegedly threw the Vikings out of Ireland.
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