ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!??!

That sound you just heard? That wet, kind of thwack-thud sound?

No big thing. Just my head hitting a brick wall, over and over and over:

(Crain’s) — Sun-Times Media Group Inc., which has been slashing jobs and closing down newspapers to cut costs, wants to pay 20 employees up to $1.8 million in bonuses if the company is sold for a certain amount.

The owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and dozens of suburban papers recently filed the request in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 31, becoming the city’s second media company to do so. Tribune Co. sought Chapter 11 protection from its creditors in December.

The same day that Sun-Times Media asked for permission to pay the bonuses, it also asked the court to allow it to file under seal a version of the request that discloses the amount it hopes to fetch in a sale, as well as who would get the bonuses and how much each would stand to gain if it were to get that sale price or more.

The Chicago-based company claims in its request that publicizing that “sensitive information” would put it at a disadvantage in seeking buyers.

It would also put it at a disadvantage in, you know, existing in the real world as we know it, too. It puts it at a disadvantage in not looking like it's currently run by a bunch of politically tone-deaf moral dyslexics who not only don't know which way the wind is blowing but are disavowing the existence of oxygen altogether. I mean, what the bloody blue fuck goes through your head, people? That doesn't sound like a lot, for 20 people, when it comes to executive bonuses, but keep in mind that $100,000 is three reporters.

Once again, the Internet kills journalism. I wonder if the AP has thought about suing over this.

A.

Comments

[mdh]

that's also 20 reporters for 3 years

[The Other Sarah]

at the papers I worked for, 100K is five reporters for five years, plus film and mileage.

[whet moser]

I agree with the commenter at Crain's who wrote (I'm paraphrasing) "look, just fucking give it to Tim Novak, you fuckers."

Maybe I should just go into PR. No one seems to be doing massively leveraged buyouts of PR firms and then sending the help in for the silver when the skeleton burns to the ground.

[pansypoo]

suiciders

[Dan]

Don't jump to conclusions, A: the report said "20 employees" not "20 executives." For all you know there are some truck drivers and maintenance workers about to get a very handsome payday.

Don't you feel foolish and ungenerous now?