A couple thoughts on yesterday’s announcements that, (A) The Star Tribune’s Guild employees voted 110-2 — a plurality that would have embarrassed Saddam Hussein — to demand the resignation of publisher Par Ridder, and, (B) the almost simultaneous “NEED” of the Pioneer Press to buy-out another 15 newsroom employees before July 27.
On the Strib: I expected nothing less. What the average Joe and Joan don’t understand very well is that reporters, photographers and first line editors are held to remarkably rigid standards of ethics. Significantly more rigid than employees in most other industries. In fact, the line between ethics and conflict of interest is tilted so far that news room managers have been able to get punitive with ludicrous assertions — such as the two Pioneer Press reporters docked pay for attending the Bruce Springsteen concert in 2004 and the part-time Pioneer Press copy editor suspended for bussing to D.C. — clearly on his own time — for an anti-war rally a short time later. (Both of those came under Ridder’s PiPress rule.)
Besides the general tawdriness of Par Ridder’s actions (and explanations) his employees’ vote should be seen in the context of the stark double-standard he has contrived to suit his needs. The suspicion is that private equity investors and managers, people accustomed to gaming systems to their best advantage, have no ear at all for how badly Ridder plays among the journalistic masses. The vote, utterly symbolic though it is, at least underlines — with a bright red Sharpie — that his employees take conflicts of interest, the appearance of and the actual offenses, a lot more seriously than either Ridder or his employers.
Speaking of which … as the sole newspaper professional among the Star Tribune’s ownership moguls, do you think Chris Harte could have maybe spent two minutes crafting an official response to the Guild vote more artful and elegant than, “blow me”, or whatever he said about the union not picking publishers?
Good God. Unless you really are freaked at the impudence and rebellion of your employees slapping a glove across Ridder’s face, is it so tough to say something like, “We respect our employees’ concern for the integrity and reputation of this great newspaper. We understand their concern and … [dissolving into bullshit] … fully expect the final legal judgment to fully exonerate Mr. Ridder.”
But, as I say, if you don’t see any way that last part plays out in your favor, I suppose you do just tell ’em to kiss off.
As it is, I predict Harte and his band of Avista Capital Partners brothers will follow George W. Bush’s example in the Valerie Plame case. First, decline to make any comment while the legal process is on-going. Then, once flattened by legal judgment, declare that unlike everyone else you’re “moving on.”
Then, on the matter of this latest round of PiPress buy-outs. The first joke, from a fellow former St. Paulite, was, “Buy-outs? Who’s left? Are they buying out the interns?”
Beyond that cheap shot, maybe someone can help me here. Guild officials and officers were in a negotiating sessions with MediaNews this afternoon and couldn’t answer this question: How many actual reporters and photographers are left in the Pioneer Press newsroom? The number “180 newsroom employees” was bandied about yesterday, which strikes lay people as a pretty big crew. But how many of that 180 are actually available to — you know — report or photograph a story, cover the city, and otherwise do the the basic enterprise of providing content for a newspaper?
I ask because when I was around the place (which albeit, was rarely),
I had a feel for maybe 75-80 actual reporters and maybe 15 or so photographers. Please, someone, set me straight.
Tonight is the annual 
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