LAYOFFS IN DALLAS
Monday was a bad day in Dallas. The Dallas Morning News eliminated 43 jobs, with nearly half coming from the newsroom. The paper’s owner and publisher said the cuts were necessary for aggressive investment in technology to boost the Morning News’ digital products. But the move comes just as the paper’s owner, A.H. Belo Corporation, was expecting dreary fourth-quarter financial results from 2018.
According to the Morning News, through the first nine months of 2018, revenue for Belo declined nearly 19 percent from same period the previous year — from $184.55 million to $149.77 million.
The notable names of the 20 let go in the newsroom included veteran culture critic Chris Vognar, who had been at the paper for 23 years.
“Any journalist who has been doing this long enough can’t be that shocked when this happens,’’ Vognar said when reached by phone Monday afternoon. “It’s the reality of the business, unfortunately. It’s awful for those it happens to.’’
Z TAKES OVER CBS
Susan Zirinsky, the dynamic 66-year-old and basis for the Holly Hunter character in “Broadcast News,” was introduced Monday to a standing ovation from colleagues as the first female president of CBS News. Now comes the hard part: fixing a news division at a network torn apart by sexual misconduct allegations.
“When I heard the news (Sunday) night, I was doing the happy dance,’’ “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King said on the show Monday. “Because I feel that we were sort of like a ship not sinking, but taking on water. And I feel that she is somebody who can right the ship because she gets us, she know us. … She is a smart cookie and she is a badass in every sense of the word.’’
Zirinsky started as a production clerk at CBS back in 1972 and has held a variety of roles since then, most recently as executive producer for “48 Hours.” She takes over for David Rhodes, who stepped down Monday night, a month before his contract was up.
In a statement, Zirinsky said, “This may be a new role, but the mission is the same: deliver quality, in-depth journalism and engaging storytelling. CBS News has an incredible legacy to build on.’’
But a reputation to repair. It has been a nightmare year for CBS, rocked by sexual misconduct allegations against network CEO Les Moonves, late “60 Minutes” creator Don Hewitt and morning host Charlie Rose. In addition, “60 Minutes” head Jeff Fager was fired for alleged inappropriate workplace behavior.
Now it’s up to Zirinsky, known at CBS simply as “Z,’’ to restore CBS’s reputation and ratings.
“She is a great journalist,’’ said “CBS This Morning”’s Norah O’Donnell. “And in addition to that, she also happens to have a kind heart and cares about the people who work here. A new day is on the horizon.’’
PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE INSURANCE
An investigation by Vox into San Francisco’s biggest public hospital revealed some sketchy practices that might surprise patients — and cost them. With the help of some medical billing experts, Vox analyzed bills from the ER and found that patients insured privately are likely to pay far more than at other hospitals.
Vox used its Emergency Room Billing Database as the basis for this year-long investigation.
Zuckerberg San Francisco General, named for the Facebook founder after a $75 million donation, is “the largest public hospital in San Francisco and the city’s only top-tier trauma center. But it doesn’t participate in the networks of any private health insurers — a surprise patients … learn after assuming their coverage includes a trip to a large public ER,” Vox reported.
The story is reminiscent of similar practices in Denver, as Poynter’s Al Tompkins reported in 2018.
Poynter’s ICYMI headlines:
- Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: A TV meteorologist who used a racial slur on air was swiftly fired
- The Hollywood Reporter: Showtime Tackles U.S.-Saudi Arabia Issues With Alex Gibney Doc
- Digiday: How Google-backed MediaWise is teaching teens media literacy
On Poynter.org
- Journalism and the conversation of democracy: The legacy of Stuart Adam. By Roy Peter Clark
- A fresh look at the rise of nonprofit journalism — and the issues that remain. By Rick Edmonds
Upcoming training:
- Becoming a More Effective Writer: Clarity and Organization. Deadline: Jan. 14.
- Write Your Heart Out: The Craft of the Personal Essay. Deadline: Jan. 25.
From PolitiFact.com:
- Has the Trump administration spent only 6 percent of border money? By Louis Jacobson
- Incoming U.S. Sen. Rick Scott kept half his campaign promises as Florida governor. By Amy Sherman
PolitiFact is a property of the Poynter Institute.
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CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Susan Zirinsky’s name.
