Huckleberries Online

Eyes: Times Hard, Getting Harder

March 21, 2009 • 31 comments

JeanieS: I’m shocked! I went to school with Bill (Morlin’s) sister. I’ve wondered if he ever met my Dad, Don Rice, on the Chronicle. And I’ve loved everything that Karen has written. “Incalculable loss” is an understatement. It’s almost too much to take, Dave, along with everything else: the economy, my son’s lay off; every Tom-Dick-and-Harry company wanting to raise their rates; my 401(k) disappearing off the chart; my dreams of retirement fizzling; papers closing; more layoffs being treatened; and now this.

Question: In the last 7 years, I’ve watched half of the SR newsroom disappear, going from 164 employees in our heyday to about 85 today. I dread the days when the layoff notices are made. I still enjoy my work, however. What we’ve built together here is something special. It helps me answer the wake-up bell in the morning. What silver linings do you cling to as you digest the bad times all around?

31 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Sam on March 21 at 12:30 a.m.
What silver linings?
Cis on March 21 at 1:45 a.m.
Karen Steele who just did a great job on the Olsen story? And so many others??? What the Hades (I really mean the other one) are they thinking down there at the office?
She has done so many great stories… that just blew the wind out of my sales… I don’t think I will renew my subscription…
Cis on March 21 at 1:56 a.m.
by the way…who is left for investigating reporters? With Curless, Hacker, and now Steele gone…..

also who is left to teach the Sam’s of the world what reporting is all about?
Sam on March 21 at 2:45 a.m.
I know, right, Cis? I’m totally screwed!
Sam on March 21 at 2:46 a.m.
Though I’m not totally and completely certain who is left at the S-R, they still have a great cadre of reporters. Everyone there is pretty much top notch. No joke. Out of the five papers I’ve worked at, the Spokesman was the largest but it was clear that management for decades has known how to hire talent.

And I’d like to point out I wasn’t one of those hires. :)
moscow_minidoka on March 21 at 7:25 a.m.
The silver lining for me is that, if home values continue to decline from their overinflated peak, perhaps my wife and I will actually be able to afford a house in Moscow instead of renting as we have for the past decade.

That is, if we both keep our jobs.
christywoolum on March 21 at 8:21 a.m.
My silver linings are good health care coverage, having the know how to raise a garden and preserve food, plentiful firewood for heat, and gorgeous campgrounds in my area to provide places to get away.
Don_Sausser on March 21 at 10:56 a.m.
I’m sure there are those who are really hurting, but not those each morning I still see in line at the espresso stands ordering $4:00 coffee drinks. But, of course, those are necessities.

Pay check to pay check :)
marmitetoasty on March 21 at 11:16 a.m.
Its funny when people say they are skint yet still buy coffee each morning and smoke and drink LOL I suppose its all about ‘their priorities’ :)

x
Cindy_H on March 21 at 1:53 p.m.
Silver lining? Tomorrow, I celebrate 23 years of marriage to my amazing husband. As long as he’s willing to keep putting up with me, that’s the only silver lining I need.
Sam on March 21 at 5:31 p.m.
Congrats, Cindy!
christywoolum on March 21 at 5:47 p.m.
Yes, congrats Cindy!
zelda on March 21 at 6:54 p.m.
I’ll know there’s a silver lining the day that Matt Drudge wakes up and realizes there’s nothing to link to. That’s when a new era begins and the news shall rise again.

Best wishes to you, cindy h. and your hubby, too.
Stickman on March 21 at 6:58 p.m.
Of course congrats Cindy. As Don said and a few followed up, our priorities with smoking and coffee seem to take our mind off things. Such gross habits, but then again, it’s just me. We have to have our priorities in this country. And then we bitch about everything else.
Bent on March 21 at 7:28 p.m.
Congrats Cindy. My wife and I will celebrate 24 if we can make it to the end of May…
mia on March 21 at 9:22 p.m.
Cindy, That is so awesome! Congratulations to you both! Whoot, Whoot to the long happily married club!

« Back to Huckleberries Online

You must be logged in to post comments.
Please create a profile or log in here.

About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.