✍️✍️ Jobs Update ✍️✍️ — August 16

Gannett layoffs, how you can help plus hundreds of new jobs added to the board

Morning/afternoon everyone. Apologies for no newsletter yesterday. With all the traveling over the weekend, I ran out of time and I wanted to give today’s topic the justice it deserves.

We received incredibly bad news on Friday as Gannett, owner of USA Today and more than 200 local titles across the U.S., began their latest round of layoffs after posting quarterly losses of more than $54 million.

It’s unclear how many journalists and non-journalists were let go, but by the number of folks posting on Twitter, it’s well into three figures. The news stung even harder when it was revealed that Gannett CEO Mike Reed was paid $7.7 million last year, including buying $1.2 million worth of shares as part of a company-wide $100 million stock buyback programme.

Media Guild of the West 🧭 @MediaGuildWest

As @Gannett CEO Mike Reed lays off even more journalists today, keep this in mind about how he gets rewarded: It ain't for Pulitzers. If Gannett's massive stock buyback plan can goose the share price above $10, Reed gets a stock award worth ~$20 million. sec.gov/Archives/edgar…

One could argue that a CEO of a large corporation deserves to be paid $7.7 million, due to the responsibility and stress their job demands. While I agree folks should have the right to earn as much money as they desire, I also believe in fairness, and assigning more monetary value to one job over another is completely subjective.

How much money a company’s executives make compared to the staff at the bottom isn’t the only issue, though. These are people’s livelihoods we’re talking about. People’s ability to pay their rent and afford health insurance, let alone letting themselves think about one day starting a family, shouldn’t be intrinsically linked to employment.

My two cents aren’t important and don’t much right now. So below I’ve included some of the resources I’ve seen that will hopefully help anyone affected by the layoffs.

If you’re a former or current Gannett employee that was affected by Friday’s layoffs, or are worried about what’s coming down the pike, we’re extending a free 30-day subscription for all of our services — access to the job board, membership to the candidate board and résumé/cover letter help.

Inside The Newsroom @InsideNewsroom_

If you're a @Gannett employee, we're offering a free 30-day trial to all of our services: - Access to thousands of jobs across the U.S. - Membership to our Candidate Board so other employers contact you directly - Résumé/cover lettter help (if you need)

insidethenewsroom.substack.comInside The NewsroomInside The Newsroom is home to the world’s most comprehensive journalism job board AND NOW candidate board! Click to read Inside The Newsroom, by Daniel, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of readers.

The amazing Kati Kokal is coordinating community aid for all those affected by the layoffs. If you’re in need of, or can offer, any of the following, please fill out this form: financial support, professional networking, child care help, food assistance and insurance resources.

Kati Kokal @katikokal

Breaking this out: If you are interested in giving community aid (in any form!) to Gannett employees affected by layoffs, fill out this form: forms.gle/EdA6Wwti9VxLKm… The aid team is getting a handle on what people need and then they'll be reaching out to people who can donate.

forms.gleCommunity aid donationsWe’re using this form to track potential aids for Gannett employees affected by layoffs. Please fill it out to the best of your ability. We will contact you but things are moving very quickly, so hang tight if you don’t hear from us right away!

One thing that’s thought to have saved a large proportion of people losing their jobs has been their membership, or pending membership, of a union. Several folks are offering advice on how to protect yourself from pending layoffs now and in the future. NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss informed me the best way to start your application is to reach out to him or follow the steps on the NewsGuild website.

Jack McLoone 🌊 @jfmclooney

If you’re a Gannett employee who managed to dodge today’s layoffs and want to try and insulate yourself from the next ones with a union, my DMs are open

Aside from the Gannett news, be sure to check out Friday’s deadlines newsletter with hundreds of deadlines approaching at the likes of the Associated Press, BBC, CBS, Guardian, Canadian Press, Channel 4, Entertainment Tonight, Human Rights Watch, ITV and the Washington Post.

Subscribe below for full access to all the deadlines, as well as thousands of active openings in hundreds of newsrooms across the U.S., Canada, UK and Europe. Or try-before-you-buy with a free 7-day trial.

And remember if you know any affected by the Gannett layoffs, or any layoffs for that matter, send them our way and we’ll get them set up for free for 30 days. See you all again later in the week. 🙏

---

Job Corner

✍️ Want to have a job featured? Fill out this form and we’ll help you out ✍️

🚨 Featured Postings 🚨

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Chicago Reader

• Editor-In-Chief

  • Location: Chicago

  • Salary: $75,000-$85,000

  • Requirements: Remote-work position, but living in the Chicago area and attendance at in-person meetings is required

  • Deadline: August 15

• Culture Editor

  • Location: Chicago

  • Salary: $45,000-$50,000

  • Requirements: At least two years of relevant work experience

  • Deadline: August 15

Project Syndicate

• Associate Editor

  • Location: Remote/Worldwide

  • Requirements: 4+ years of experience, strong knowledge and understanding of world affairs, economics and public policy

  • Deadline: Rolling

---

Preview of New Listings 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇪🇺🇨🇦