The Strib's Pam Miller Pens a Note

Without further comment … this from Pamela Miller, Star Tribune Guild officer and the paper’s Faith & Values reporter.

“Brian’s coverage of the misery at the Strib has been accurate and intelligent. I appreciate that.

“But I wonder if you, the blog- and media-reading public, really care what happens to a bunch of middle-class journalists who will probably land on their feet. The real tragedy is not for journalists, but for you citizen consumers of news, who now will find less of it, written more hurriedly by fewer people, in their local paper AND at that paper’s website.

“Like most of my counterparts, I wrack my brain day and night for a way to save my beloved craft, and hope that we’re all wrong and that this terrible time is just a dip in, not the death throes of, mainstream journalism. I believe journalism won’t die, but just evolve somehow. But how, in a way that preserves accurate, cool-headed reporting?

“Like Brandt, I am among the lucky ones at the Strib — the religion beat will survive, whether it’s covered by me or not. But I never forget that a few years ago, when the first symptoms of shrinkage appeared, an equally important beat, Science, was killed. And now I look around and see talented folks like Warren Wolfe scrambling for a gig after his growing-in-importance topical beat, Aging, is unplugged. And I look at Doug Grow, whose trademark hearty laugh sounds almost sad these days — here’s a guy who in the past would have had a retirement party that would have filled a stadium; now he tells me he’d rather we didn’t even have cheese, crackers and beer at Jax for the 50 departing folks “because it would feel too sad; no one will wanna come.” And I look at wonderful support staff folks like Patricia Grice and Brian Leehan, who contribute deeply to our paper’s intelligence and humanity, and feel angry that they may be forced to walk the plank so an oil-drilling company can have its big bucks.

“I have a teenage son who is co-editor of The Quill, the student newspaper at Robbinsdale Cooper High School, and for years he dreamed of being a journalist. Now he’s not so sure.

“We have a great union contract, but even the best contract can’t prevent layoffs and buyouts. We union officers feel like hospice workers, treating symptoms and holding hands. But in this grievous time, we also feel strong stirrings of solidarity and stubbornness in those of us left. Avista can expect to face a savvy, strong union when negotiations open next spring. We’re not rolling over — far from it. We’re going to have some things to talk about.

Pamela Miller
Faith & Values reporter
Minneapolis Star Tribune