Stopping the bleeding

The most significant indicator that there is no disaster in Iraq is the fact that there is no exodus.

- Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria

This month has seen plenty of journalists leaving LANG for other newspapers, for jobs in PR, and sometimes just for the hell of it. If the rumors are correct, there's at least one more departure on the horizon. It's clear that for most working journalists, faith in the corporate governance of LANG is sitting pretty low.

The mass exodus isn't limited to MediaNews properties of course. One study suggests that nearly 30 percent of journalists plan on quitting newspapers due to "industry issues/job satisfaction."

But at the same time, LANG is notable even among newspapers for losing staff to the competition.

So how do we restore faith not only in the industry, but in the direction LANG is headed? A good first step would be for the powers-that-be to accept that the folks in the trenches know their jobs and this industry, and many have ideas that could help reverse the downward spiral, if simply given the opportunity to share them. At times it feels like MediaNews' plummeting fortunes are nearing critical mass. That's why so many journalists are fighting for a seat at the table. Give workers a chance to contribute their experience and ingenuity. They just might surprise you.