Unfortunately, for those of us still in Kansas, Gatehouse Media seems to know just how to continue to lower the bar.
Sure, I've been seeing complaints on Facebook — a scourge in its own right — about The Salina Journal lately from residents of the Lindsborg community. It seems they've been having a nightmare of a time getting their paper, not just on time, but on the same day.
Posting after posting in this community turns to subscribers not getting their paper for the day, or in some cases, for several days.
Now, to be sure, some of these problems might fall to carriers, who are certainly paid a pittance. But that's as it's always been. Some carriers were good, some not.
However, and obviously I'm only watching as folks post comments about their particular situation, the Journal isn't helping them out much.
When subscribers call in, the response varies. No one answers on up to promises of a delivery that never comes.
Heck, I've seen postings from carriers that papers will be late, thanks to mechanical issues or some such problem. To be sure, having spent my years in the industry, I know things break. Way too often, in fact. But it's also a handy excuse.
But Salina has long had two printing presses and a multitude of problems just getting the paper out the door, never mind onto the subscribers' doorsteps.
Now, however, Salina has gone the way of The Hays Daily News, in that its printing presses have been silenced, the printers shown the door and the task of printing the daily paper sent elsewhere.
When the Hays presses were turned off, the paper was printed in Salina, often on the presses that came from Hays.
Now, of course, Salina and Hays are printed in Hutchinson.
Its a trend.
The Wichita Eagle is being printed in Kansas City, for example. There have been so many changes, I can't keep track of them all.
But the latest low to be struck by Gatehouse-Kansas, if I can use that moniker, is the absolute devastation of the staffing at all the Gatehouse papers, most notably the former Harris Enterprises newspaper, which included Hays, Salina, Garden City, Hutchinson and Ottawa in Kansas and Burlington in Iowa.
Gatehouse picked the group up for a song, reportedly $20 million. It had a long and deeply respected history.
The names are the same, but you can't recognize what it once was.
You see, it's the papers' skeletons that are still visible. Most still occupy the now vastly oversized buildings, considering how small staffs are.
Perusing staff listings online show a paltry reminder. The number of reporters who are working in four of the communities — Hays, Salina, Garden City and Hutchinson —now match the number of reporters we had at our peak at the Hays Daily News.
There are only six reporters shown as working at these four papers, two each at Hutchinson and Hays, and one each at Garden City and Salina.
Salina is looking to hire a reporter, but I'm not about to suggest anyone apply. You would almost need to be magical to fit the job description. Consider:
The successful candidate, according to an advertisement, will have to cover the community news, as well as local government, as well as features. But you'll also need to cover "intense breaking news situations." No sweat, I did that for more than 30 years.
But now, you have to also post on social media, while writing "quickly under deadline pressure."
Reporting accurately is still a requirement, thankfully, but you also have to be an accomplished photographer and videographer. Well, you have to shoot "strong" photos and videos as well.
And you must be available nights and weekends. I get that; the news doesn't schedule when it's going to happen.
But my former colleagues tell of working most days and evening, and most weekends. Sort of slave labor in some respects.
You only need some experience, at a college paper or someplace else, and be working toward a bachelor's degree.
They claim to have a competitive wage, benefits and offer time off. They don't elaborate.
But the kicker here is, if you want to apply, you send your resume to Topeka. Not Salina. They don't have a managing editor or an executive editor, and from the staff listing, no publisher, well, other than one in Topeka, who serves as publisher there and for other Gatehouse papers across the state. They do now have a general manager, one shared by Hutchinson and Hays. More cheapskateism, if you'll excuse the word.
It's also notable that Salina's staff roster lists five people in the newsroom, one of whom has already left the paper. All told there are 17 people on the Journal roster, down from perhaps more than 100 who worked there at its peak.
Garden City shows six people on their roster. Hutchinson has 20.
Hays has 11. At its peak, Hays had nearly double that in the newsroom alone. The paper overall had more than 65 employees.
I was fortunate enough to leave The HDN when it was still fairly vibrant, even though Harris shareholders had already turned their backs on the business.
In hindsight, I now look like the smartest guy around, taking my retirement months before the axe would have fallen.
I don't regret it at all.
