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from the acquisition-followed-by-gutting-of-the-workforce dept.
It's as bad as many of us feared. In spite of the "happy talk" of "oh, his son will be running it and he's different", "Rupert wouldn't destroy an asset like Nat Geo", etc., the axe fell on [November 3].
The memo went out, and November 3rd 2015 came to the National Geographic office. This was the day in which Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox took over National Geographic. The management of National Geographic sent out an email telling its staff—all of its staff—all to report to their headquarters, and wait by their phones. This pulled back every person who was in the field, every photographer, every reporter, even those on vacation had to show up on this fateful day.
As these phones rang, one by one National Geographic let go the award-winning staff, and the venerable institution was no more.
[...] The National Geographic Society of Washington will lay off about 180 of its 2,000-member workforce in a cost-cutting move that follows the sale of its famous magazine and other assets to a company controlled by Rupert Murdoch.
The reduction, the largest in the organization's 127-year history, appears to affect almost every department of the nonprofit organization, including the magazine, which the society has published since just after its founding in 1888. It also will affect people who work for the National Geographic Channel, the most profitable part of the organization. Several people in the channel's fact-checking department, for example, were terminated on Tuesday, employees said...
In addition to the layoffs and buyouts, National Geographic Society said it would freeze its pension plan for eligible employees, eliminate medical coverage for future retirees and change its contributions to an employee 401(k) plan so that all employees receive the same percentage contribution.
[...] Other articles hint that this may just be the beginning of the layoffs.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by M. Baranczak on Thursday November 05 2015, @11:04PM
The management of National Geographic sent out an email telling its staff—all of its staff—all to report to their headquarters, and wait by their phones. This pulled back every person who was in the field, every photographer, every reporter, even those on vacation had to show up on this fateful day.
That just adds insult to injury. Why couldn't Murdoch's minions call those people on their cell phones to fire them?
(Score: 1) by Francis on Thursday November 05 2015, @11:54PM
I think a large part of that is that it's instantaneous. Rather than having to hire a large number of people to make those calls and have people left hanging, hoping not to get a call, they can get the message out quickly. It is rather tacky, but it does seem somewhat less cruel than making people wait.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Friday November 06 2015, @01:37AM
Sounds like 'Yes, Minister':
"We need to make government smaller."
"Well, in order to do that, we'll need to do a study to see who best to lay off."
"Yes, do that."
"Well, the civil service is really busy, so in order to do the study, we'll need to hire staff to do it."
"We need to hire in order to fire."
"Yes, Minister."
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday November 06 2015, @04:58PM
Seriously, where is my "Sad, but true" mod . . .
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"