美国国家公共电台 NPR Tronc Slashes 'New York Daily News' Staff By Half

Tronc Slashes¹ 'New York Daily News' Staff By Half

NOEL KING, HOST:

The newsroom of the New York Daily News is being cut by half. The newspaper Chicago-based publisher Tronc bought the famed New York City tabloid² last fall for just a dollar. Now it says it wants to restructure the Daily News. The newsroom staff learned of the cuts this morning through a memo³, and NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik got ahold of that memo. Good morning, David.

DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE⁴: Good morning, Noel.

KING: So why is Tronc cutting so dramatically the size of the Daily News newsroom?

FOLKENFLIK: I think because it can. I think because that's been its model as other - at its other newspapers is to cut and cut and cut. There are obviously real pressures in the industry to which it, the company, alludes⁵ in its memo. And it wants talk about meeting the digital moment, taking advantage of the opportunity of ways to distribute information. But cutting a newspaper that has, by the way, been subject to rounds of layoffs⁶ under previous owners to this degree, 50 percent, is almost unimaginable in a single swoop⁷. And I think it's doing it because of the intentionality that it has shown under the current controlling ownership of Michael Ferro to, you know, wring⁸ out every possible cost and to try to get every possible dollar of profit for its corporate⁹ ownership.

KING: Well, what other properties does Tronc own, and what has it done with them? Has it made similar moves?

FOLKENFLIK: There have been deep cuts at places - the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, its two largest papers until earlier this year. And the reason I say until earlier this year is that the cuts at those places led to successful unionization drives at both places and that drive led in Los Angeles to the sale of the LA Times and its sister paper in Southern California, The San Diego Union Tribune. Tronc didn't really want to deal with a union at its largest newspaper, and it lost the romance for it. So this is really a point of contention¹⁰ for Tronc. It is seeking, as have certain other corporate owners, the folks who own Digital First Media - but really to wring - cut not only muscle and bone but into marrow¹¹ at times.

KING: The editor in chief of the Daily News, Jim Rich - kind of a legend in New York and even outside of New York, I suppose - he's been fired. What's his reaction been?

FOLKENFLIK: He's been very angry and hurt. He, this morning, said, you know, if you - effectively, he said if you are a fan - if you hate democracy and think local governments should operate unchecked and in the dark, then today is a good day for you. And as this was being announced, he changed his Twitter bio to read just a guy sitting at home watching journalism¹² being choked into extinction¹³.

KING: Well, I guess he's not one to mince¹⁴ words.

FOLKENFLIK: Noel, a newspaper tabloid editor, you know - he knows how to pack a punch.

KING: (Laughter) Usually isn't. Let me ask you something. You know, New York has a lot of papers. Rich is making this argument that this is a big blow to local journalism. Is he right?

FOLKENFLIK: It's hard to think otherwise. The New York Times really has cut back its metropolitan¹⁵ and its city coverage¹⁶. It's looking to do, you know, some impressive enterprise work. It's still doing watchdog journalism, but it's not covering the five boroughs¹⁷ of New York or what's called the tri-state area here to anything like same degree. The Wall Street Journal under Rupert Murdoch ventured into those grounds and really pulled back, as well.

KING: And it sounds like the reaction in New York today among people in media and with - outside of media has been just kind of heartbreak.

FOLKENFLIK: I think it's been heartbreak and anger that outside corporate figures would do this without an appreciation¹⁸ for New York. This will certainly take a toll¹⁹ on the journalism in the city as it's currently constituted.

KING: NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik. Thanks, David.

FOLKENFLIK: You bet.

1 slashes   

n.（用刀等）砍( slash的名词复数 )；（长而窄的）伤口；斜杠；撒尿v.挥砍( slash的第三人称单数 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• They report substantial slashes in this year's defense outlays. 他们报道今年度国防经费的大量削减。 来自辞典例句
• Inmates suffered injuries ranging from stab wounds and slashes to head trauma. 囚犯们有的被刺伤，有的被砍伤，而有的头部首创，伤势不一而足。 来自互联网

2 tabloid   

adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘

参考例句：

• He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism.他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
• He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully.他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。

3 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 alludes   

提及，暗指( allude的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In the vegetable kingdom Mr. Mivart only alludes to two cases. 在植物界中，密伐脱先生仅提出两点。
• Black-box testing alludes to test that are conducted at the software interface. 黑箱测试是指测试软件接口进行。

6 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

7 swoop   

n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击

参考例句：

• The plane made a swoop over the city.那架飞机突然向这座城市猛降下来。
• We decided to swoop down upon the enemy there.我们决定突袭驻在那里的敌人。

8 wring   

n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭

参考例句：

• My socks were so wet that I had to wring them.我的袜子很湿，我不得不拧干它们。
• I'll wring your neck if you don't behave!你要是不规矩，我就拧断你的脖子。

9 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

10 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

11 marrow   

n.骨髓；精华；活力

参考例句：

• It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了，他感到寒冷刺骨。
• He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。

12 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

13 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

14 mince   

n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说

参考例句：

• Would you like me to mince the meat for you?你要我替你把肉切碎吗？
• Don't mince matters,but speak plainly.不要含糊其词，有话就直说吧。

15 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

16 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

17 boroughs   

（尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇

参考例句：

• London is made up of 32 boroughs. 伦敦由三十二个行政区组成。
• Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. 布鲁克林区是纽约市的五个行政区之一。

18 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

19 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。