Journalism is under assault, from evolving technology that challenges how news is distributed to media corporations whose only response to economic downturns is to slash and burn.

Journalists and our brothers and sisters in advertising see this as a time to strengthen our newspaper and improve our value to readers; Lee Enterprises and its corporate cousins see this convergence of technology and economy as a perfect storm, a convenient opportunity to cut staff far beyond what is required and to assault the foundations upon which our union is built.

These corporate suits and dollar-strangling publishers also are beginning to breach what for generations has been a solid wall between advertising and editorial. They see the newsroom as a potential arm of advertising, with tailor-made “niche” publications (”Style,” “Summer Fun”) and stories made to order.  Merging advertising and features, for example, would destroy our readers trust: Which stories are honest? Which were written in return for ads? Which were bought and paid for?

It is time to think about an ethics policy for the Post-Dispatch, one generated by the journalists and advertising professionals who work here. Let’s start a discussion right here. To kick things off, here are links to two ethics documents:

Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics

Newspaper Guild-CWA principles of Professionalism and Honesty in the News Media

Speak up! This is our union; this is our profession. It’s up to us to protect them.

(This post was written March 26, 2009; we apologize for the delay in publishing it — admin)

I was called in to HR on 2/27/09 to be told that I was amongst several being laid off that day at the Journals.  I was not allowed to return to my desk to gather my personal belongings….it was done FOR me and placed in a box and I was escorted out of the building.  I was told during my “exit” interview that it was me this time around…based on my numbers…sales.

It is easier for Lee Enterprises to lay off the Journals employees because they are NOT Union – I wish we had been.  The Union had approached the Journals at West County only to be told to vacate the premises….WE were told that if we valued our jobs we would NOT talk to the Union at all!  There is a person who is leaving my old department now – has taken a position at the Post-Dispatch and do you believe this?  There is a help wanted ad to replace her in my old department?!  Is this even legal if there was a layoff?  Aren’t companies supposed to CALL BACK employees that have been laid off?

I was so distraught that day over the complete shock of losing my job that I signed an agreement with the HR Director.  It was a termination agreement with a severance offer.  Mind you – our “severance” packages are equal to two weeks pay per year.  I was let go on 2/27 and my two years would have been on 3/1/09.  Therefore I only got 1 year severance – in which was taxed at a higher bonus rate to boot!  Over $400 in taxes was taken out of my check!   I am not sure if LEE got one over on me or not in my “lay off”….however….I really need to know from someone if they can re-hire in my department without calling back employees first?!  Or is Lee actually going to get away with it because the Journals are NOT Union.  That is the way LEE likes it…NO UNIONS!

Someone please advise me on this one because I am not only confused but livid at this point and want to make my point CLEAR when I call tomorrow!

Thank you, Lee and P-D management, you’ve helped answer a question many of us have faced on questionnaires: What is your occupation?

All these years, we’ve been writing in “journalist.”

But in this week’s layoffs, our top editors made clear that they exempted reporters, photographers and designers from the guillotine because they didn’t want to adversely affect “journalism” and lose more “journalists.”

Copy editors and online content folks, among others, were fired. Now we know why. By your definition, they are not “journalists.”

It’s good to know.

And it’s good to know – as if we didn’t know before – that we retain your professional respect.

Let us assure you that you also have ours.

A limited number of issues will be brought the negotiating table by Shannon and our team when the Post-Dispatch unit begins early and expedited bargaining with Lee.

Via surveys and other communications, members have identified job security as issue No. 1 facing the PD unit.

What does that mean to you? What’s most important to you? Outsourcing protection? Layoff protection?

Weigh in below in the comments section.

A limited number of issues will be brought the negotiating table by Shannon and our team when the Post-Dispatch unit begins early and expedited bargaining with Lee.

Via surveys and other communications, members have identified health care as issue No. 2 facing the PD.

What does that mean to you? How do you feel about the cost of health care: Would you be willing to pay a bigger share? What’s a fair share? How do the plans work now?

Weigh in below in the comments section.

A limited number of issues will be brought the negotiating table by Shannon and our team when the Post-Dispatch unit begins early and expedited bargaining with Lee.

Via surveys and other communications, members have identified wages as issue No. 3 facing the PD.

What does that mean to you? How much of a raise should we seek? Would we trade money in our paychecks for a break in health care costs?

Weigh in below in the comments section.

Lee limits the amount of e-mail we can have and the size of our voicemail.

I have to kill off e-mail messages that I need for work just so I can continue to get new ones.

When I have a big story, my voicemail rapidly fills up, and other readers can’t leave messages.

Now with this latest newsroom reorganization, they are taking away many of the filing cabinets in the newsroom as well as the tall cabinets where we store our coats.

Some desks are squeezed so close together that you couldn’t possibly have a private conversation with a source, a sweetheart or your doctor. This even though we’ve lost huge numbers of newsroom employees to buyouts.

So we can’t have electronic files, hard copy files, more filled notebooks than we can fit on our desktops — or even coats.

Exactly what does Lee think reporters do?