Thursday, January 18, 2007

Drudge and Dick Parsons

It's interesting that the Drudge report is dragging the Dick Parsons name through the mud today with some blaring headlines and flashbacks...

Yes, I get that the issue is the loss of 289 jobs, but those job losses are taking place at the company's magazine division... magazine as in print.. as in less readership, as in less advertising dollars. By the way, TWX shares have been strong in the market in recent months...
My issue with Drudge is not so much that he takes offense at 289 fine journalists losing their jobs - really the white collar type worker - but what I'm missing is equal opportunity CEO ass kicking. Why only Parsons when a few hundred white collar jobs, or professional jobs go? I don't see center column treatment on the Drudge site of let's say, Bill Ford, when he dumps a bunch of HQ workers. Drudge will splash headlines for 20,000 blue collar workers biting the bullet, but nary a peep for a few hundred non union, professional Ford workers. But today we see special treatment for Drudge's newsroom, press buddies - nevermind the other 84-thousand employees of Time Warner that the "diddling" CEO Dick Parsons is keeping employed. Crappy journalism. Drudge, wake up, news people in money losing segments of the industry are not exempt from layoffs, and remember Drudge, you operate exclusively in the medium that is largely killing operations like Time Inc!

No comments: