KC Confidential

This just in from Ground Zero at 18th and Grand…

Kansas City Star publisher Mi-Ai Parrish‘s” memo to co-workers re widespread reports and commentary on the controversial decision to make two reporters – Karen Dillon and Dawn Bormann – duke it out or hug it out to decide which of them takes a layoff bullet.

“Some of you have seen online reports regarding the recent layoffs at The Star,” Parrish begins. “We want to be clear that we did not ask our employees to work out any decisions amongst themselves.

“As most of you know, The Star has tried to make voluntary options available on many occasions when it has been necessary to make reductions in our workforce, in order to lessen the impact of involuntary eliminations. In fact, the feedback we’ve received from employees has been overwhelmingly in favor of making the voluntary option available. For this particular severance program, for any group of two or more employees in which a reduction is to occur we did offer a voluntary option. However, if there are no volunteers, as is our past practice, the employee with the least tenure will be included in the reduction. This information was clearly indicated to those employees affected by the severance program.”

Hold it right there. Continue reading →

As to be expected, the preholiday forecast is dour to partly gloomy…

The morale at the Kansas City Star in the wake of Monday’s layoffs debacle:

“Morale? If the staff had any morale, it’d probably be lower, I’m sure,” says a staffer. “But there is no morale left after five years of this. How could there be?”

Let’s see, heads rolling. Unpaid job furloughs. Star stores shutting down. Practically the entire country’s media focused on the uncaring, unwise way two woman reporters were pitted against one another to see which gets to keep her job.

Toss in the so-called “fiscal cliff” and the downward spiral of print newspapers and it’s difficult to be buoyant.

And now news staffers at the Star are playing out “Hunger Games” scenarios among themselves. As in, “What would we do if it happened to us?” Continue reading →

It’s hard to hide out when you’re a journalist and the entire media world’s watching?

So it is that Kansas City Star publisher Mi-Ai Parrish came out from underneath her desk last night long enough to kinda-sorta set the record straight while inadvertantly digging herself into yet a deeper hole.

“In a statement e-mailed to NBC News late Wednesday, Parrish said the paper was cutting its workforce by 17 positions,” the explanation begins in nbcnews.com’s business section. Continue reading →

Seems the word of her death was greatly exaggerated…

Sources at the Kansas City Star say reporter Dawn Bormann may not be well, but she’s still alive. That in the wake of news that the newspaper has asked Bormann and fellow reporter Karen Dillon to decide which of them must go in this week’s round of layoffs.

If push comes to shove, Dillon with seniority, is reportedly in the position to make the call, and quit or send Bormann packing. Continue reading →

They say what comes around goes around…

In the case of Tuesday’s breaking news by KC Confidential about the Kansas City Star pitting two reporters – Karen Dillon and Dawn Bormann – against one another to see which gets to keep her job, the story circulated just about everywhere.

The consensus among readers being that forcing co-workers to decide which one’s career must end is cruel and unusual punishment.

Things started heating up Wednesday after respected media blogger Jim Romenesko picked up on KC Confidential’s story and laid the matter bare for journalists around the world to marvel at. Continue reading →

This is the original story, but there’s so much more:

The journalism world notices 18th and Grand, but not for beef
Experts give thumbs down to Hunger Games scheme
Star Morale at all-time low
The publisher responds

How cold can you get?

Check out this startling tale involving a pair of Kansas City Star reporters reportedly presented with a proposition – a variation on Sophie’s Choice – that only one position remained for the two of their jobs.

“They brought in two reporters – Karen Dillon and Dawn Bormann – and told them that one of them had to go,” says a staffer. “And that they had to decide which one would stay and they had until next week to figure it out. Sort of like ‘The Hunger Games.’ That’s the scuttlebutt anyway.”

There’s more.

“Karen Dillon has seniority, so she has the option of taking it or not taking it,” says the source. “And if she does, Dawn gets laid off. Dawn’s a great person but I think Karen will vote in favor of herself because she’s got teenage kids at home.” Continue reading →

This just in from sources at the Kansas City Star…

Another casualty of Monday’s layoffs and cutbacks at 18th and Grand: Would you believe the newspaper’s Kansas City Store?

“I just heard both Star stores are closing,” says one newspaper insider. “The one on the Plaza and the one at Union Station.”

Exact closing dates of the stores and the fate of the two staffers who head their respective retail operations remain unclear, but the betting money is they’ll be taking a bullet with six months going away paychecks.

There’s a rub though. Continue reading →

Geez, is nothing sacred anymore?

A scant two weeks before Christmas and the Grim Reapers at 18th and Grand are up to their old tricks. As in laying off staff right before America’s Holiday.

“MEMO TO: Co-workers,” the internal notice begins.

“FROM: Mi-Ai Parrish.

“RE: Reduction in force

“As we continue to be challenged by uncertain economic news, I have decided to restructure and realign some pieces of the business, eliminating several positions, as well as some open positions.

“The employees affected by the reductions have been notified.”

The name that jumps out in the early returns is Star librarian Eric Winkler. Continue reading →