Journal dismisses Cam Tait

24karat · 20-07-2012, 12:11 PM

I don't know the details, but I'm hearing that the Journal has dismissed Cam Tait. What were they thinking?

Gord Lacey · 20-07-2012, 03:54 PM

He hasn't been dismissed. Terry Jones at the Sun tweeted that he heard Cam Tait was let go, and the editor of the Journal tweeted "Glad to report that Cam will continue to write his column at the Journal."

24karat · 20-07-2012, 05:42 PM

That is good to know.

Sonic Death Monkey · 21-07-2012, 11:42 AM

Wouldn't be good optics for the Journal to fire Tait, given his predicament. He has Down's or something like that, doesn't he?

Gord Lacey · 21-07-2012, 11:51 AM

He has cerebral palsy.

JamesL · 21-07-2012, 12:00 PM

Kind of confusing... some local media types are suggesting that he was fired and then re-hired (possibly on an even more part-time basis).

Wouldn't be surprising if true, though – it'd just be another sad example of local newspapers cutting their human capital to the bone.

JamesL · 24-07-2012, 12:03 AM

From the blog of Journal writer Chris O'Leary:

Quote:

On Thursday, after 33 years with the Journal, Cam lost his job. He’s one of 25 bodies our paper is losing this summer.

Downsizing is the ugly reality of where newspapers are today and if you’re at a paper long enough, you’ll probably be processed by the downsizing machine, too. My own naivete didn’t allow me to think that Cam would be one of the people to go. On Thursday, before I sat down to get to work on my Eskimos and B.C. Lions stories for the day, I got an email from him, breaking the bad news. He was sad when he picked up the phone.

“I’ll be OK,” he told me, as we talked about some options for him. “But right now, this really sucks.”

http://chris-oleary.com/2012/07/22/more-with-less/

Some real Season Five s**t right there.

Gord Lacey · 24-07-2012, 07:08 AM

This is very interesting. So all indications are that Cam was let go, yet the editor of the Journal says he'll continue to write article for them. So maybe he was let go and hired as a freelancer?

sundance · 24-07-2012, 08:44 AM

The Sun now advertises as Edmonton's only daily paper. To me this is a sign of the times and I'm not sure how much longer either paper will exist, at one time radio, TV stations and newspapers actually did something called reporting and researching. Today they mostly repackage other people's press releases and then try to sell you advertising.

Its been quite a while since I was happy with the quality of reporting in this city, and I think Cam Tait is only the tip of the iceberg and more will be let go.

howie · 24-07-2012, 12:30 PM

^ Not just this city, sundance. It's the same everywhere, a natural consequence of instant worldwide communication. Fewer people = less overhead = more profit. All TV stations/newspapers encourage viewers/readers to send in pictures, stories. Cheaper than keeping paid reporters on staff.

armin · 24-07-2012, 04:01 PM

Newspapers won't die off quite yet, but their advertising revenue has dropped quite a bit. Since they own other outlets, it's easier and more cost effective for them to cut local reporters in order to run articles that can be used nationally as opposed to locally.

I'd be happier with more local coverage personally.

20-07-2012, 12:11 PM	#1
24karat Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Edmonton - Blue Quill	Journal dismisses Cam Tait I don't know the details, but I'm hearing that the Journal has dismissed Cam Tait. What were they thinking? __________________ Fly Edmonton first. Support YEG

20-07-2012, 05:42 PM	#3
24karat Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Edmonton - Blue Quill	That is good to know. __________________ Fly Edmonton first. Support YEG

21-07-2012, 11:42 AM	#4
Sonic Death Monkey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Downtown	Wouldn't be good optics for the Journal to fire Tait, given his predicament. He has Down's or something like that, doesn't he? __________________ “You have to dream big. If we want to be a little city, we dream small. If we want to be a big city, we dream big, and this is a big idea.” - Mayor Stephen Mandel, 02/22/2012

24-07-2012, 12:30 PM	#10
howie Addicted to C2E Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: edmonton	^ Not just this city, sundance. It's the same everywhere, a natural consequence of instant worldwide communication. Fewer people = less overhead = more profit. All TV stations/newspapers encourage viewers/readers to send in pictures, stories. Cheaper than keeping paid reporters on staff. __________________ Nisi Dominus Frustra

20-07-2012, 03:54 PM	#2
Gord Lacey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Strathcona - Mill Creek	He hasn't been dismissed. Terry Jones at the Sun tweeted that he heard Cam Tait was let go, and the editor of the Journal tweeted "Glad to report that Cam will continue to write his column at the Journal."

21-07-2012, 11:51 AM	#5
Gord Lacey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Strathcona - Mill Creek	He has cerebral palsy.

21-07-2012, 12:00 PM	#6
JamesL Addicted to C2E Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: University	Kind of confusing... some local media types are suggesting that he was fired and then re-hired (possibly on an even more part-time basis). Wouldn't be surprising if true, though – it'd just be another sad example of local newspapers cutting their human capital to the bone.

24-07-2012, 07:08 AM	#8
Gord Lacey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Strathcona - Mill Creek	This is very interesting. So all indications are that Cam was let go, yet the editor of the Journal says he'll continue to write article for them. So maybe he was let go and hired as a freelancer?

24-07-2012, 08:44 AM	#9
sundance Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: City of Champions	The Sun now advertises as Edmonton's only daily paper. To me this is a sign of the times and I'm not sure how much longer either paper will exist, at one time radio, TV stations and newspapers actually did something called reporting and researching. Today they mostly repackage other people's press releases and then try to sell you advertising. Its been quite a while since I was happy with the quality of reporting in this city, and I think Cam Tait is only the tip of the iceberg and more will be let go.

24-07-2012, 04:01 PM	#11
armin Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2008	Newspapers won't die off quite yet, but their advertising revenue has dropped quite a bit. Since they own other outlets, it's easier and more cost effective for them to cut local reporters in order to run articles that can be used nationally as opposed to locally. I'd be happier with more local coverage personally.