This has been a particularly bizarre week in Arizona media. ABC 15 is implementing deep budget cuts. The Arizona Republic is rearranging the deck chairs. And yes, it’s true: The Arizona Daily Star is suing a punk rock band.
Cuts at ABC 15
The E.W. Scripps Company, which owns KNXV-TV (Channel 15) in Phoenix, announced today it would be cutting budgets throughout the company. For many employees nationwide, it means outright pay cuts. It also means the company will stop contributing to employee 401(k) plans starting in April.
In a memo leaked on the Romenesko media blog, Scripps chief executive Rich Boehne said this: “I can assure you these decisions were not taken lightly. A comprehensive and wrenching process led us to these decisions, but we must act now to reduce costs and remain competitive.”
At ABC 15, it’s still unclear how the cuts will be laid down. If you have an internal memo or insider info, please email Heat City. Anonymity, as always, can be granted. (Full disclosure: I do unpaid analysis of the Serial Shooter trial for ABC 15.)
We got the beat
Valley public relations pro Andrea Aker took a closer look today at how some of the recent moves at the Arizona Republic are affecting her industry — as well as the public’s knowledge of important topics. With recent cuts at the newspaper, she notes, many reporters have been reassigned to new beats.
“What happens to the quality of news when dozens of reporters are covering beats unfamiliar to them?” Aker writes. “Will the public receive the same insight? Who will spot and predict trends? What about loyalty? Many readers follow specific by-lines. What happens when they disappear?”
All good questions.
Paper goes punk
The Arizona Daily Star newspaper in Tucson has filed a federal lawsuit against a punk rock band that used a staff photograph without the paper’s permission. The photo showed Tucson police officer Erik Hite moments after he was shot by a fleeing suspect last year. The band, Awful Truth, used the photo for the cover of their album titled “Kill a Cop for God.”