Every so often, corporate does something good

[MacJeepster]

A year or so ago, when my paper started offering local news via SMS, corporate sent us 4 Android phones. I decided to give them to the reporters. I figured they could use a free phone. Besides, I already had a personal Android with a year left on the contract. Who wants two phones?

A year later contract's up and I was planning to downgrade to a flip phone to help pay for my new 4G iPad. Who wants 2 data plans?

I decided to take a shot and have my publisher ask corporate if they'd give me a free phone, and they said yes. The Verizon paperwork came yesterday saying the phone will be delivered Wednesday and it's an iPhone 4!

I was planning to switch to a simpler phone to pay less; instead I'm switching to a much better phone and paying nothing!

Times are tough in the newspaper business. Lots of good people have been laid off; those remaining at my paper have gone 4 years without a raise, even as we're working harder and harder to secure our digital future. This makes a huge difference for my family.

-mj

[haikuman]

Nice story mj. Thanks for sharing it. Lucky you *(:>*

[mikebw]

Sweet!

[space-time]

you deserve a 4s!

[the_poochies]

My first job out of college 20 years ago was the editor of our local weekly newspaper. The hours were long and the pay was horrible.

I have many friends in the newspaper biz and many more friends who were laid off from the same industry.

It's not a good time to be a print journalist, although I still love reading my morning newspaper delivered to my front door.

But now it's time enjoy your new iPhone....congrats!

[Buzz]

My BIL has been working for a major metropolitan newspaper for over thirty years... your last paragraph describes his life, except that he is on the analog side. The paper has closed several facilities the last few years, and he has gone from having his pick of shifts, which allowed him to ride his bicycle to work, to having to commute to a different county to work different ungawdly shifts while spending $500/mo on gas, after they closed the facility he moved his family near so he could save on gas. No gas, or cell phone allowance for him; they keep reminding him how lucky he is to still have a job... the "lucky" people from four formerly separate (and presumably convenient to the workers) facilities (in three different counties) now work in the facility that was always known to be the least convenient from the day it was built. Newspaper, poospaper.

Our FIL worked for another major metropolitan newspaper for over 38 years in the advertising make-ready department... they kept him around the last two or three years pretty much doing nothing after they went more digital; since he was about to retire anyway, they didn't want to spend the effort or expense retraining him. The best perk of having him work there, was getting a head's up on the upcoming Fry's ads, which was one of his accounts... :-)

Congrats on the iPhone, glad to hear about an occasional bright cloud amongst the doom and gloom in the newspaper biz.

///

[haikuman]

I can tell you I worked for a gentleman and his wife that owned the Fairbanks News Miner.
I was just his caretaker in Maui, but he provided me with a gas card and much more.
All his employees at the News Miner were provided with gas cards. He owned other publications.
I know this man and his family took care of their employees. It always depends on the character
of the people you work for.
Rudie