The Chronicle is having many issues we're told, once again, with some longtime staffers, mainly reporters, feeling the effects of continued financial problems facing the Hearst-owned SF daily.To say there's a lot of angst in the newsroom would be an understatement.
One significant transaction has a whole lot of rank and file both fuming and worrying en masse.
John Crumpacker, a sports reporter who covered Cal football and basketball was fired last week, that's fired, like with cause, only a source close to Crumpacker, who'd been at the paper for 37 years, told me the real reason he was 86ed with cause was because by doing so the Chronicle wouldn't have to pay him a normal severance package, you know, like money?
The Crumpacker imbroglio has been met with reverberations around the entire newsroom; the feeling being, if they do that to him what might they do with me?
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Usually i don't think you have a clue about what's going on in the world, but I'm POSITIVE you understand what "fired with cause" means.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have a clue about what's going on in the world. It's all about telling experienced people to take a hike and being rather mean about it. If you're one of those young skippies in a power of presumed authority, just remember that what goes around comes around. Someday, someone may decide to do the exact same thing to you.
DeleteAnon@10:11,
DeleteJust because it's painful to be fired doesn't mean that the person doesn't deserve to be fired or that the employer is not entitled to fire that employee.
I have never assumed that once I'm hired for a particular job that I am guaranteed employment for life.
Just wondering why Rich takes such obvious delight in the financial difficulties of media corporations and the accompanying "angst" of affected employees.
ReplyDeleteTime to call the Alioto Law Firm if he really has a case.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what's going on inside the Chronicle, but this move was a big mistake. Cumpacker was a terrific college football and basketball guy, and perhaps he had some issues with management, I don't know, but the guy had been doing quality work for 37 years in the bay area.
ReplyDeleteIt's really sad to see the newspaper business, as well as local radio and TV continue to jettison some of the more talented vets out the door with not so much as a 'thank you.' I know that there are a lot of people hurting out there in the job market, but the Chron is the still the most successful paper in Northern California, and this move really stinks to the casual reader such as myself.
I hope Crumpacker ends up on his feet, but at his age and with the job market such as it is, his position will probably be downsized and they'll probably use other bodies in the shop to do his work, or go ' young and cheap' like other media entities have done recently.
I sometimes wonder why I continue subscribing to that paper when they continue to disrespect and downgrade their most valuable assets. A sad state of affairs!
He recently cut and pasted straight from Cal press releases for a couple of his stories, without giving credit, so that might be the reason. Especially since in the paper's most recent story on Cal's athletics, after he was fired, did note that it was copied from a Cal presser.
ReplyDeleteHe rarely used Twitter (which I think the Chronicle sports department requires) and was a week late in reporting a new player on the basketball team. He also missed several months last year due to a health issue.
From the outside looking in, it looks more like he had stopped working, than the Chronicle trying to save a few dollars.
Wow, thanks for the inside info. He did seem to disappear for long periods of time. He seemed like a nice guy. Shame.
DeleteYes thank you 8:54pm for giving us the rest of the story.
DeleteFair and balanced is lost in reporting.
Well, perhaps he was having some problems and had been 'mailing it in,' because of health issues, but some sort of warning or probation could have at least been put effect and perhaps he would have straightened out. We're talking 37 YEARS of hard work here that this guy put it....isn't that worth something? Unfortunately, it doesn't add up to much today anymore...does it..? I guess his recent problems were more damaging than that long body of work, according to management. What a warped vision of the worth of a hard working journalist. Sad!
ReplyDeleteAnd you know that he wasn't warned about his job performance before his firing?
DeleteWorking journalist. Code for entitlement mentality.
DeleteI deserve a job! Regardless how poorly I perform.
Where was the union?
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm when the going got tough, Crumpacker was left to defend himself.
Such is life in a labor union.