Friday, October 9, 2009

USA TODAY's circulation takes a major hit

USA TODAY, my former long-time employer, is facing some dismal news. According to an article in Editor & Publisher, the "nation's newspaper" will report circulation losses of 17 percent in the last six months. The actual number of newspapers: nearly 400,000 copies. To put that in perspective, that's more papers than the total circulation of many metropolitan daily publications.

For anyone who has worked in the newspaper business, you know these are staggering numbers, even in the age of readers migrating to digital platforms. They are particularly bad for the national paper because unlike many other newspapers, USA TODAY counts heavily on circulation for revenue. Other papers rely more on advertising.

E&P article: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004021019

Swine flu increases the pressure to get a shot

The only time in the last decade that I got the flu was two years ago when I received my one and only flu shot. Perhaps that was a coincidence, but I am thinking long and hard about ever getting a flu shot again.

The pressure is on to get vaccinated against seasonal and swine flu this year. Of course, I am not working. It's not as simple as going down to the nurse's office at USA Today and getting a free injection. But costs and inconveniences aside, I still am leaning towards not getting either vaccination.

The flu I had two years ago arrived about six months after my shot. It's quite possible that I contracted another virus that I was not protected against. I had a fever for six consecutive days. Next to getting the chicken pox as an adult about 20 years ago, that illness was the worst I have ever experienced. It was relentless.

I wish people would be more careful when they are sick. Too many folks cough without covering up. Too many parents let their kids go to school or take them out in public when not feeling well. And in this economy, with everyone scared to lose their jobs, I am guessing people will be more prone to go to work when feeling under the weather.

A lot of American companies still don't provide employees with enough sick time. I recently applied to one job that only offered four paid sick days a year regardless of how many years you worked there. Unused days did not carry over to the new year. That won't even cover the duration of the average flu in many instances. If you get sick again, even if it's just a 24-hour bug, you're out of luck and out of sick time. Another job that I applied to didn't provide any sick time for the first three months, and then only gave folks one day per quarter.

There have been many years in my career where I didn't use a single sick day. However, some years the benefit does come in handy.

Progressive companies give employees a pool of time off that can be used for illness, vacation or any other reason. Smart employees will make sure to always bank enough days to cover any illnesses they or their children might contract.

I am not sure if the swine flu is the end of the world as the media portrays it. I am certain it isn't pleasant, and in children it can be very dangerous and even lethal, but media reports seem to be more hysterical than they need to be at this point.

Another insane aspect of the swine flu (more accurately called H1N1) saga is that hog farmers across the globe killed millions of pigs last year when the flu was first reported and somehow connected to swine. Not only were those mass killings unnecessary, but with so much hunger in the world, it was quite a waste to rid the planet of all of that food. Furthermore, did we really learn anything about why it's not a good idea to permit crappy factory farms? I doubt it.

Looking beyond the obvious when hiring

One of the most difficult things to do in searching for a job is to transition from one field to another. Even if professions are related, employers are less likely nowadays to give opportunities to job seekers wishing to utilize their skills in a slightly new venue. In this recession, employers can find exactly the skill-set and experience levels they want. They don't have to take a chance on someone outside of a particular field, even if that person appears to be a great fit.

I think that is a mistake for businesses. Without reaching beyond the normal borders, companies can tend to get a bit stale. Many journalists move from media to public relations. Because they have the communications and research skills, it's a natural move, and it benefits both the agency and the former journalist. But you don't see that kind of transition happening much anymore.

Going further back, to the mid-1900s, many folks made huge transitions. My grandfather was a farmer in New Jersey before landing a gig as a photographer for the New York Post. He got the job because he showed initiative in making a picture of a jailed organized crime boss. He sold the picture and himself to the Post. He didn't go to photography school. He just showed initiative and was handy with a camera.

My father went from truck driver to TV news cameraman. He did have to go to school for training, but doors opened quickly for him after he graduated because he was persistent and had a natural gift and personality for news photography.

I worked for an executive editor once who was a bartender for several years. He swore that that job helped prepare him for newspaper work better than any journalism school could have.

Old-time actors often tell stories of working as fast-food cooks or waitresses before making it big in Hollywood. They too were discovered by someone with a keen eye for talent and given a chance to blossom. No one was overly concerned about resumes back then.

While there are many opportunities in modern society, there is also a tendency for employers to pigeon hole people. I think this comes from laziness and lack of creative thinking more than anything else. The best companies try to seek talent in a variety of places. They also explore the various hidden skills and interests of people already on the payroll to see if they would be good candidates for a promotion or transfer to another office. If nothing else, this is good business. It keeps people motivated and productive.

Employers have a great opportunity right now to break out of the box in terms of hiring. There are many people looking for jobs who are eager to try something new, something they might even be better at than what they previously did for a living. New ideas and perspectives are also good for business. Just ask the "big three" in Detroit what the status quo can do to a business.

As we mature, we have a better understanding of ourselves and what we are best suited to do. For instance, many folks discover they are better at teaching than managing. But without employers giving people a chance, many folks will will go undiscovered. This isn't good for those individuals who are seeking work or for society as a whole.

An award that has many baffled

President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today for less than a year's worth of work in international diplomacy. The honor seems to have caught everyone off guard, including the White House. At a time when the president's influence failed to even keep Chicago in the running for the 2016 Olympics, and considering his body of work is limited at best, this truly is an odd selection and yet another reason to take all awards with a grain of salt.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Should I stay or should I go?

The Clash sang "Should I Stay or Should I Go," which in a recession takes on new meaning for many people. Unfortunately, this is no song. This is a profound question homeowners, and even renters, are asking themselves with greater frequency -- at least those who still have a choice.

Northern Virginia hasn't been hit quite as hard by the recession as other parts of the country. Unemployment figures are lower here. Housing prices haven't plummeted as steeply as they have in regions like South Florida or the Las Vegas area of Nevada. Northern Virginia benefits from being in the shadow of Washington D.C., where the federal government is a major employer and the private defense and technology industries keep humming along.


However, Northern Virginia has one major problem (besides traffic). The area is ridiculously expensive in terms of housing, and that is causing hardships for many more families than politicians and some business leaders around here care to admit to.

When I was laid off from USA Today last year, my immediate concern was how to pay the mortgage. My wife and I have pieced together a plan to keep us from losing our home for now, but there will come a time when we can only stretch our dollars so far and will have to move if I don't find a decent-paying, stable job. "Decent-paying" being the key phrase. The problem is, where do we move to if things do get worse?

There isn't an inexpensive town or county in this region. You can move out towards Manassas, Va., and probably pay a little less for a house or rental unit, but what you save by living that far out is wiped out by commuting costs. Most white-collar residents in Prince William County commute to D.C. or somewhere inside the beltway. The closest Metro train station to Manassas is in Vienna, Va., about 20 miles away, that often takes 90 minutes to get to because of traffic. Then it's another 45 minutes on the train to get into D.C. It doesn't make for a great quality of life.

We live close to Dulles Airport, on the border of Loudoun and Fairfax counties. There are plans to bring the Metro to this area, which will only drive up the cost of housing here.

If my wife and I are struggling to live here in recent months, in a modest townhouse, how does a young couple starting out afford a home in Northern Virginia? How do retires make ends meet in Northern Virginia? We would downsize even further, to a smaller townhouse, if we could save some money. But any townhouse or condo in this area would cost more than we currently owe on the home we bought in 2001. It doesn't make financial sense to downsize. Not here; not now.

There are good salaries to be made in Northern Virginia. That's probably why people keep coming to NoVa. Unfortunately, most of the jobs that are still paying well are in specialized fields. Lots of defense department contractors are hiring because of the now-constant threat of terrorism. Great if you have high-security clearance and a passion for that type of work. Not so great if you don't. The majority of other jobs, like school teachers, office workers, police officers and such, don't pay well enough to live comfortably in this area. Generally speaking, two incomes are required. And at least one of those incomes better be fairly high because two $30,000-a-year jobs isn't going to cut it in the Virginia suburbs.

Two doors down from us, a townhouse is in foreclosure. And another neighbor has taken in boarders to help pay the mortgage. A Realtor friend of ours has also informed us that there have been a lot of "short sales" in our area. That was news to us. Bad news. So even Northern Virginia isn't immune to this recession. And if these things are happening here, in an economically diverse area, I can only imagine how people must be suffering elsewhere.

During my job search, I have noticed a trend in which salaries seem to be going down. I have no scientific proof of this, but I believe more and more employers are paying entry-level wages to experienced people, or worse, not even hiring experienced folks. This might be OK in Detroit, where any jobs would be welcomed, but it won't suffice in Northern Virginia. In Detroit, you can buy a house for $10,000. No, I didn't leave off a zero. You can literally buy a house there for that price. In Northern Virginia, even in the worst areas, $10,000 wouldn't pay your rent for a year, let alone serve as down payment on a home.

The dilemma for anyone considering leaving Northern Virginia is that while they might be able to cut their housing costs by 75% by moving to Orlando, Fla., will they even be able to find a minimum-wage job once they get there? It seems staying or going have considerable risks, which is why many people are just trying to ride out the storm, hoping that clearer skies are approaching. I often wonder about that strategy and if it's delaying the inevitable. Just as people are leaving pricey areas in California, will Northern Virginians begin abandoning ship? Will the D.C. suburbs become nothing more than bedroom communities for federal workers?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Lack of media coverage part of the problem

An update to the last post. A quick survey of four mainstream media home pages right now shows zero stories about the dire unemployment situation. Only the Wall Street Journal has any mention of unemployment, and that is in a small story about how jobs will impact the 2010 election. I checked CNN.com, USA TODAY, The New York Times and WSJ.

Wake up Washington!

I can't say it much better than former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, says it in this Huffington Post article sent to me this afternoon. Read it if you are interested in the hard reality of the job market and what it would mean to the economy and mindset of America if things don't improve soon.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-truth-about-jobs-that_b_307642.html


People, including those in public office, need to stop focusing on the unemployment numbers. They aren't an accurate picture of how bad things are or will potentially become. Not even close. They don't account for those who have given up on trying to find work or who are profoundly underemployed. Then there are people so worried about losing their jobs that they aren't spending any money, therefore the economy continues drag, products sit on shelves and businesses don't expand or hire. Furthermore, the deficit isn't going to be reduced while people aren't paying income taxes.

Everything economic starts with jobs. President Obama and the Congress need to act accordingly. There needs to be a far greater sense of urgency in Washington. It's nice to have a president who can multi-task, but Obama must prioritize and stop talking about what he inherited from the previous administration. We elected him and others to fix things. Now fix them!

Loudoun County an incubator of flimsy parenting

Overheard an interesting conversation in Starbucks today. Managers of the store were meeting with a representative of a security firm. The conversation was about teenagers loitering around the store. The managers seemed eager to hire the security company to drive away unwanted and rowdy teenagers.

The Starbucks is in a fairly upscale area of Loudoun County, Va., but far from the elite areas like Great Falls and McLean, Va., and a world apart from the crime-ridden sections of D.C. However, the security rep said middle and high-end suburban areas are some of his worse nightmares in terms of dealing with teenagers. In "rougher" locales, the security guy said he can simply chase kids away and they generally don't come back. In the cookie-cutter suburbs, with limited places to hang out, teenagers tend to be more argumentative and even hostile towards authority. They gather in packs and act more boldly in terms of seeking "revenge," the security guy said.

"Even if we chase them away, they often will come back and slash tires or paint graffiti," said the security rep. We had a massive tire-slashing incident in our neighborhood last year, so this resonated with me.

There was also talk about how upper-middle class suburban kids have parents who are quick to sue anyone who tries to curtail their kids' awful behaviors. Teachers have been walking that line for years. I think this is a generational change. When I was young, I was not given the benefit of the doubt if a neighbor or teacher complained to my parents about my behavior.

I also recall a public service announcement on television when I was growing up. It said, "It's 10 o'clock, do you know where your children are?" How would parents answer that today? I doubt some parents know where their kids are at any time of day.

Now, if I can digress a second. I understand teenage rage and expression to some degree. I wasn't exactly a perfect kid myself. But there appears to me to be something wrong with kids today. For instance, in my day when the local hoodlum decided to hot rod his car, he rebuilt the engine, improved the driving performance and spent countless hours doing back-breaking work to have his car drive (or race) as well as it sounded. Nowadays, any idiot with a few bucks and a wrench can alter his muffler so that the car sounds hot-rodded, yet it's still the same piece of crap it was before the tailpiece was added on. Now tell me, who had more initiative, the kid 40 years ago who spent months re-engineering his car or the jerk who made his muffler noisier to impress his friends?

Loudoun County is a ticking time bomb. My wife and I see it on our street almost every day. Kids and more kids, largely unsupervised when young and totally on their own when older. One teen was shot to death right across from the new Donald Trump Golf Course, about a mile from my house over the summer. He was at a house party, presumably with no parental supervision. And these kids are supposedly among the best and the brightest in a well-educated area where most high school grads go to college.

Neighbors are often scared to say anything to unruly kids. Some won't even call the cops or social services because they are so intimidated by these punks. I am unsure if one youngster on our block even has parents or a guardian living with him full time, but I am determined to find out soon because the situation is deteriorating. His house has become a gathering place for a whole host of kids who, for lack of a better description, essentially look like they are runaways living on the streets.


The county has one of the highest per capita rates of multiple-children families in the nation. This is a big problem. Bordering on freakish, really. Pregnant mothers with three kids in tow is not an unusual sight around Sterling and Ashburn, Va. Parents keep breeding like mad because of the good schools, hospitals and other amenities. But what these working parents don't seem to understand is that the suburbs can often be just as dangerous for teenagers as the inner cities, particularly when parents turn their kids over to institutions to raise, or worse, let them roam anywhere and everywhere on their own. Shopping center security companies in particular are doing well because of the influx of kids in the region.

Loudoun is becoming a teenage wasteland. Anything so massively out of balance usually is a bad thing. The kids who were cute and cuddly during the county's extreme growth spurt a few years ago are now teenagers without much to do. The parents are working around the clock to afford the big houses while dumping their problems on the rest of us who are simply trying to go about our business without getting hit by a skateboard or having to elbow our way through a pack of teens loitering in front of the coffee shop.

Parents in Loudoun need to take responsibility for their kids. The quality of life here is only as good as the people. Neighbors must also speak up when they see kids hanging from street signs or throwing rocks at cars. Unfortunately, correcting these spoiled brats will often draw a nasty response. Maybe that's the way teenagers have always been, but it still doesn't mean adults don't have the right to speak up.

Shopping centers and store owners also have a responsibility to their patrons. If the managers at Bloom (grocery store) won't pay for security, then I will take my business to Safeway, Giant or Harris Teeter. I was glad to see that the Starbucks that I usually go to is finally trying to do something about a growing problem.

I hope parents, police and others in the county begin to recognize that we have a problem that isn't going to go away by ignoring it. Security firms and other forms of policing can't replace good parenting, but with the current teenage explosion in Loudoun County, more security at public places is probably not a bad idea.

Going viral a difficult task

The chart to the left shows traffic trends (in page views and visits) to this blog over the last 30 days. Without getting into tedious details, the chart shows how difficult it is to grow an online audience. Traffic to the site is flat or slightly in decline. The severe dips are on weekends, which tells me people aren't online much on Saturdays and Sundays. New visitors to the site are almost non-existent.

This graphic, which is generated by a companion service, does not reflect how many comments folks are making. But it is clear that comments are also dwindling. One reader said the lack of comments is a reflection of my blog posts taking on a more moderate tone lately. Apparently, people are more likely to respond to emotional or controversial posts. As I looked at a few other blogs written by friends, I also noticed a lack of participation from readers.


This simple blog has hammered home the problem that media outlets face in trying to build an online audience. Reader loyalty was difficult enough in the heyday of print (magazines, newspapers, etc.) but is even tougher online where the choices are endless. It seems that unless you consistently post videos of monkeys flying airplanes or skateboarders crashing into trains, it's very difficult to build an audience with a general-topic blog.

Still, blogging is an interesting exercise for me and has taught me many things about digital communications that might prove beneficial one day. As I said in an earlier post, there are many good reasons to blog or to follow blogs. I am not comfortable with certain aspects of it, but overall I think it is a positive experience and something everyone should try at least once.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Start spreading the news


Letterman breaks another promise

I am beginning to wonder if David Letterman's ordeal with an alleged extortionist is turning into an opportunity to improve his ratings against Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show.

As I squirmed in my chair last night while listening to his so-called apology to his wife, Regina Lasko, I began to think that Letterman is going to milk this to death the way radio personality Howard Stern used his personal shortcomings to attract listeners. We are a voyeuristic society and this wouldn't be the first time a celebrity used negative publicity to obtain a positive career result.

Letterman last week said he wasn't going to talk anymore about his having sex with staffers or the criminal charges against the man who was going to blow the whistle on the talk show host. That promise didn't last long. As he has done with his apologies to Sarah Palin over some off-color jokes about her daughter, Letterman seems to want to cash in on his indiscretions. One or two passing references to the latest misstep would be understandable, but to turn the entire first part of the show into shtick seems a tad unsavory.

Letterman apparently broke some promises to people in his personal life. He's human. Most folks will give him a pass. He's a comedian, not a priest. But he has already broken another promise by prolonging this tale of sex and alleged extortion publicly on his show. If this drags on too long I will be switching over to Conan, not because I feel righteous about this stuff, but because it just gets boring.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Apple taking the lead on more than just iPhones

One of Apple Inc.'s slogans over the years has been "Think Different."

On Monday, Apple quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because the computer giant felt the chamber was being too critical of proposals to reduce pollution.

The chamber has gone on record as saying that certain aspects of environmental legislation passed by Congress will hurt jobs. Of course, everyone is worried about unemployment, so anything that will potentially hurt jobs is something to consider. However, some things in life still do rise above jobs.

Apple has always marched to the beat of a different drummer. Its products and innovations, such as the iPod and iPhone, have reinvigorated business. Many still believe Apple computers are far better than Windows-based machines. I have worked extensively on both and do agree Apple machines are more stable and intuitive.

Kudos to Apple for trying to be a good corporate citizen of the planet. It's refreshing to see an advertising slogan apply to more than just the product line.

Why blog?

By nature, I am not a self-indulgent person. Blogging, like other online social interactions, takes a degree of openness, which I have been accused of not always possessing. It requires exposing your thoughts about the past, your interests in the future and an array of other topics that might come across as either trite or fascinating, depending on your audience and the subject of the day. Blogging requires thinking what you have to say is of some importance to someone. It's an act that some call a waste of time while others paint it as essential in a technological society where new ways of connecting with each other keep us from becoming too isolated.

I began blogging for several practical reasons. I was looking for a job and getting involved in various social and professional networking sites as a way of expanding my search. Blogging was just another way of having an online presence so that employers would see that I am competent on digital platforms. I used digital tools in my years at USA Today. I can write and create visuals. So blogging seemed like a natural fit. It keeps me in the game, sort of speak. It's fun to see comments come in and for followers to join the blog. Being a journalist, it's almost mandatory to have a blog, regardless of what the blog is about. These are all good reasons, I suppose, to blog.

The downside to blogging is that it makes me feel too self-absorbed. My tendency would be to blog about heavy, meaningful topics that seek change, but I know no one would want to read those too often. Most people want to read happy stuff or be entertained or informed in some amusing manner. In general, they don't want to read about what I think Thomas Jefferson was saying when he spoke of the dangers of corporations.

I meander around on here, trying to hone my online-writing skills and looking for ways to broaden my audience in order to justify the time spent writing these posts. In a digital world, these aren't bad goals to have. All kinds of businesses are trying to tap into the powers of the web. There are opportunities for those who embrace online technologies. Information is power. Doors open for those who use these tools.

Still, with that said, it's a fine line for someone like me to walk. On one hand, a blog is what it sounds like. A crude stream of throw-away thoughts. On the other hand, to not blog or interact on Facebook is to limit one's exposure to various new opportunities. When someone "Googles" your name, it's important that something (preferably something good) comes up so that potential employers can get a sense of you and your willingness to take advantage of digital venues. I maintain my old band's YouTube site so that other musicians might get a glance into what sort of band I might want to form in the future. Again, it's a tool.

I suppose people have different reasons for blogging. Mine are to remain a player. To learn a few things along the way about posting video or creating polls. To tap into ideas and innovations. I dislike the feelings of being self-centered but recognize that those feelings go with the territory.