Comments on: THE JOURNAL NEWS KEEPS MATT DAVIES!

By: troy davidson

troy davidson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:33:13 +0000

this is great news because i am a huge fan of matt davies. i am an aspiring cartoonist. so maybe there is hope for us too.

By: JD Crowe

JD Crowe — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:06:21 +0000

Great news, Matt.
Win, win, win, win for:
Journal News, readers, you and us.

By: Mike Scott

Mike Scott — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:04:55 +0000

That’s great news, Matt. I’m very happy for you and your readers.

By: Mike Peterson

Mike Peterson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:46:43 +0000

“OR #2 they can resign over the direction of their newspaper other forces want to take it (which has already been done by more than several editors).”

I would do that, but with the knowledge that they would simply replace me with someone who would do their bidding. My conscience would be clear, but the net result for the paper would be the same. The day after I was finally terminated, they canned a young reporter I hadn’t wanted to.

Assuming we’re here to argue the case of the cartoonist, it really doesn’t matter who pulls the trigger, does it? The editor can only resist to a certain degree. The beancounters have the last word.

By: Wiley Miller

Wiley Miller — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:52:03 +0000

Editors answer to the publisher. The publishers have only been listening (for the most part) to the bean-counters. The bean-counters point out to the publisher that they can run the work of every syndicated editorial cartoon for a fraction of the cost of one staff cartoonist. That’s all they see… the numbers. What they don’t understand is what produces the numbers, and perhaps, just perhaps, that is beginning to change.

The editors may be the executioner, but they are not the ones who ordered the execution.

By: Milt Priggee

Milt Priggee — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:27:33 +0000

Editors have three choices when faced with cutting their budget.

#1 They can protect their content bottom line by NOT laying off THE ONLY person who creates LOCAL visual commentary for their operation.

OR #2 they can resign over the direction of their newspaper other forces want to take it (which has already been done by more than several editors).

OR #3 they can endorse the decision to eliminate the one feature that differentiates their operation from all other media platforms…..by doing the bidding of the bean-counters.

By: Mike Peterson

Mike Peterson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:49:19 +0000

One of the reasons I’m no longer an editor is that I resisted the demands to lay off talented young newsroom people. And, yes, specific people were mentioned and their rate of pay was shoved under my nose.

One of the other reasons I’m no longer an editor is that the cold-hearted chislers went Chapter 7. heh heh heh.

By: Pat Bagley

Pat Bagley — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:36:27 +0000

Bet reader reaction helped turn the tide.

By: Stacy Curtis

Stacy Curtis — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:34:22 +0000

Not in all cases, Milt.
My editor did not want to see me go.
He got the orders from the bean counters.
He just swung the axe.

By: John Auchter

John Auchter — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:13:38 +0000

Flip-floppers! …wait, turns out that can be a good thing…