Overnight Open Thread. Economy Collapses, Doonesbury Character Hardest Hit. (genghis)

As part of our continuing series “People affected by the recession/depression/apocalypse that you could not give a shit any less about,” comes this sad tale: Even the Doonesbury Reporter Lost His Job. Heavens to Molly, will this madness ever end?

”On the lighter side this afternoon ... It's more and more clear every day: No one is immune from this recession. Not even comics. Rick, the investigative newspaper reporter long featured in the award-winning Doonesbury comic, is out of a job as of yesterday.”

On the lighter side this afternoon? My gawd, woman, this man has a comic family to support and a comic house they have to keep up payments on. Will you be there to provide them comically drawn cans of beans and even a comically drawn cardboard shelter underneath a freeway offramp should it come down to that?

But someday soon, you may have to walk a cartoon mile in Rick’s cartoon shoes. Because according to the following story P-I Employees Bracing for Paper’s Shutdown.

”SEATTLE -- On Wednesday, employees of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper learned how to file for unemployment after the paper shuts down.“

“Though the paper is still up for sale and it's possible that someone could buy it, the closure of the paper is increasingly likely. Dan Raley wasn't scheduled to work Wednesday, but the longtime sports columnist was at the P-I building anyway for a meeting he said he didn't want to attend.“

“"I'm here for an unemployment benefits meeting, something I can't imagine I'd ever be doing," said Raley.”

”P-I employee Kery Murakami said all he ever wanted to be was a newspaper reporter.

"I think the hardest part is that for a lot of us, we're looking at the end of our careers because there's no jobs in newspapers anywhere," said Murakami.

“After 9 years at the P-I, Murakami is facing both the loss of a job and a childhood dream."There's a very good possibility that my last story here will be the last story I ever write," said Murakami.”

I’m not entirely unsympathetic (though mostly I am) since the P-I actually had a pretty good sports section. But there’s a whole “New Frontier” awaiting all of these expatriates of the media wars in the Obama Administration. Lots of new jobs. Go East young man (and woman). They’ll need good people to get the word out, and you’ll hardly skip a beat as you move from journalist to department publicist.

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posted by xgenghisx at 01:11 AM

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