Nossip Potpurri: Part III

- The Facts: Sun-Times Media Group Inc. cut an undisclosed number of jobs late this week as part of the newspaper company's effort to trim payroll costs by 15 percent, according to an internal memo obtained by the Chicago Tribune.

My opinion: I hate to sound uneducated here, but simply put, this is totally uncool.
First and foremost it's a shame that Sun-Times Media Group Inc. is cutting more jobs. Secondly, not disclosing the number of jobs it's cutting goes against what media is supposed to stand for: full disclosure. Not cool. Not cool at all.

- The Facts: Look for Gains in 2010, Says RTNDA Survey Director
"Jobs in local television news dropped by 4.3 percent and salaries dropped by 4.4 percent last year. At the same time, stations set a record for the amount of news on the air while the net number of stations originating news declined by only 4 in the past 16 months," the Radio-Television News Directors Association reported on Sunday.

My opinion: While this is not necessarily a Phoenix rising kind of story, it is quasi-encouraging. Hey, things could always be worse.

- Her Opinion: Amy Goodman: Celebrate dissent, diversity
Pacifica Radio, the oldest independent media network in the United States, turns 60 this week as a deepening crisis engulfs mainstream media. Journalists are being laid off by the hundreds, even thousands. Venerable newspapers are being abruptly shuttered. Digital technology is changing the rules, disrupting whole industries. Commercial media are losing audience and advertising. People are exploring new models for media, including nonprofit journalism.

My opinon: It's funny how quickly people forget history. Clearly, this shows that advocacy journalism and independent sources of information and independent media outlets have been around for a while and can have longevity. With all of the panic over the Digital Age and the doubt that indy journalists have a chance, it's good to read pieces like this.