The LA Times is set to cut 250 jobs. Many from the editorial staff. According to a radio story broadcast today, 6 July 2008, the Times will begin focusing on stories it is uniquely situated to do here in LA.
Did you guess that would be Entertainment? If so you win the Dumbing-Down of America prize because that is exactly what is planned.
I looked in vain for a link to the story at KNX News Radio (1070 AM in Los Angeles). Maybe it will be up later. Here is a link to the story as told in the Chicago Tribune. The paper's new owner, the Tribune Co and the Times merged for the tidy sum of 8 Billion Dollars.
Now the Times is billions of dollars in debt and so it has to trim down. Get rid of staff. Get rid of those who might see the truth and tell it on the pages of the newspaper or website. How convenient.
And according to the KNX story, they'll concentrate on Entertainment stories.
Of course while oil speculators are driving the cost of living into the stratosphere (due to Bush's dirty little oncoming war with Iran which will close the Middle East down), what we need to know is what is Paris wearing and who last got busted for being high.
While the economy sputters into recession, all we need to know is where are all the stars eating dinner nowadays?
While the likes of Jonah Goldberg write books and give lectures spewing hatred for the working man and woman, all we need to know is why didn't Will Smith's latest movie make run-away profits? And of course the answer is NOT because we are in a recession. It's because he was competing with his daughter who also has a movie just out.
The consolidation of media and the refusal to tell the news is getting down right scary to me. The only thing I can do about it is tell you.
And tell the Tribune that I object.
But for now it looks like the News is cancelled.