Okay, okay, I thought I was done with the whole "newspapers are dying" thing, but apparently I was wrong. It seems that everyone's favorite Tribune hero, the infamous and oft-quoted InkStainedRetch of TellZell fame, has dropped off the radar. The last posting was September 19. Oh where, oh where has our little Retch gone? Is he/she a victim of the Zellion's crackdown on anti-Tribune rhetoric? Did the Tribune employees lawsuit against Zell and Company lead to The Retch's demise?
After all, didn't Zell say publicly that "there is a difference between questioning authority or challenging the 'business as usual attitude,' and maligning the company in public. That's just bad judgment and does no one any good. It's a distraction that's unnecessary." And obviously not tolerated.
Maybe The Retch became just another name on the Times' 30 list, accepting a buyout that included a disclaimer to shut it both now and in the future. We may never know. Too bad for us. The Retch's vitriolic criticism of Tribune's honchos made for some great reading.
And what of TellZell's sister-site Tribune Employees Talk? Apparently there has been nothing for them to talk about since October 8. Hmmmm.... Interestingly enough, the last posting had this to say: "LAObserved felt compelled to issue a warning to Times staffers: according to sources, their not-so-new publisher is calling it 'treason' for employees to share information about stuff going on inside the paper.
"LAO's Roderick writes that 'current Times leadership is unhappy enough (or paranoid enough) about stuff getting out to consider action against staffers' and advises staffers to 'take precautions — use your personal email, our PO box, or pick up the phone — and don't presume they aren't watching.'" Brrrr....
And on top of that, here's the latest Tribune news: "Tribune Co. reported a loss of $124 million for the third quarter; operating cash flow for the publishing division was down 91 percent from last year." Am I glad I am no longer a Tribune employee? You bet. Am I worried that my meagre Tribune pension may not be there when I turn 55? You bet. Stay tuned.