Daily News update/ meeting

Hi folks,

I wish I had more to add over last week's message, but details of the layoff plan are still very murky. I know this is a time of great anxiety for all of us, but you guys have done a great job in putting out the paper with this hanging over our heads. You are truly a credit to the profession.

I'm sure many of you saw the closed-door meeting on Friday between the editors. I don't know what was discussed within, so I won't speculate. But I do know this: the corporate folks are looking for serious, deep cuts. From the talk I'm hearing, this could greatly affect the way we cover the news in this town and further cut into an already strapped newsroom. I haven't heard numbers or a specific date -- I'm sure they're probably both flexible. Whatever the case, this is not the time to sit by and wonder what will happen next. This is a time to make sure we're ready to respond.

With that in mind, we're going to be meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Jason and Kerry Kandel's in Sherman Oaks. Any members who can make it, we need your help. We need as many of you as possible, because we've got serious stuff to discuss. Anyone who's interested but unable to make Weds. night, please let us know and we'll find another time to meet with you one on one.

And if you're not a member yet, this would be a good time to get involved. I'm not saying this as a union recruiting pitch, I'm saying it because this is going to take all the minds we've got available. I have a lot of faith in this staff's intelligence and creativity, and I know the job takes a lot out of all of us. But we need you-- we need each other. Please help us protect our jobs and our future.

Thank you-- I hope to have more news for you soon.

-Brent

(Anyone who needs the address, e-mail me)