In the ongoing effort to remove all institutional knowledge and reason for buying the paper, the geniuses at Cox Ohio decided that two senior staff were no longer needed.
As the pool of institutional knowledge shrinks- their ability to connect the dots on stories shrinks even more.
Confirmed by Jana Collier, Vice President of Content at Cox Media Group Ohio, last Friday walking papers as of Dec 31 were handed to two senior staff: Connie Post- “Team leader- Entertainment” or the Life Section Editor/editorial page contributor or “Newsroom Production Editor at Dayton Daily News” depending on where you find it. Connie was known as the queen of recipe trials- aside from her other duties. She’s one of the few edumacated folks down in the puzzle palace- with a PhD in English from Texas Tech. The drawl is still evident. Her latest love has been photography- building a huge following on Facebook, where she also occasionally posts videos of her playing the piano. A real renaissance woman. Last time Cox tried to sever ties, she threatened them with a discrimination lawsuit according to sources– and with her no comment on her dismissal, another suit may be in the works.
UPDATE
9 Dec 2016- Post sent a certified letter stating she never threatened Cox with a lawsuit, and I have no foundation of a threat now. That information came from what I consider a very credible source. She “demands that I remove the post.” As a professional journalist- she should know better how these things work. There is no “removing” anything from the Internets- just corrections/redactions. Note- I did call her for comment, before I contacted Jana Collier.
Post came to the Dayton Daily news back in July of 2000- giving her 16 year 6 months of experience.
Also ejected from the game was Brian Kollars. I’m sure he’d be bestowing “Knuckle head of the week” award on someone in the cox empire, if he was still the sports editor. From his official bio:
Brian Kollars has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 2003. He was named Investigative Team Editor in March 2012 and works with a staff of five to uncover government waste and dig into key topics in our community. He also collaborates with WHIO-TV on I-Team stories and writes a Sunday Sports column entitled “Second Thoughts.” Prior to his current assignment, Brian worked as Sports Editor for seven years. He edited many sections that won state and national awards and his writing resumé includes a Best of Gannett. Brian was born and raised in Yankton, S.D., and is a graduate of Valparaiso University. He enjoys coaching youth sports and lives in Oakwood with his wife and three children.
Source: Brian Kollars | www.mydaytondailynews.com [1]
So besides getting rid of Brian, the Cox sisters also just ruined Christmas for his three kids.
Nice.
Looking at the staff listing [2] on the DDn site is almost a laugh.
Bennish has been gone for months.Jessica Heffner, Dave Larsen, Tiffany Latta, Ken McCall, Allison Wichie and of course- former HMFIC Julia Wallace- all gone…but not forgotten on the DDn staff page.
And it’s been kept a secret- but both Meredith Moss and Tom Archdeacon aren’t really with the paper anymore- they’re just contract staffers now.
For some of us, Arch is the only reason we bother to pay for the damn thing.
For a company that’s “digital first” – they really need to learn how to keep basic information relevant.
The good ole days …… sad thing is …. we just get to reflect back on them. Arch was one fine authentic reporter. As we approach this new era of privatization “winner take all” and its “all mine” its only fitting that we dumb down with fact free fake news. Where we’re heading has little to do with what Ayn Rand was talking about. One big misconstrued flip flop narcissistic nation.
The elimination of the “fairness doctrine” and the passage of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 both served a purpose it just does seem to be for the public interest or common good but seems to serve the “Gilded” well.
Sunday morning’s my 1st order of the DDN is snatching out section C / Sports and immediately forwarding to Second Thoughts. Gee whiz! Much like when Hal McCoy was unceremoniously dispatched, departure of Kollars is shortening up a purpose to bother with a subpar tabloid. I’ve been a subscriber to the DDN for 40+ years and recall when it was absolutely page after page of must read articles. No scanning and skimming, making the Sunday edition an all day activity. That’s long gone and as David asserts and to which I agree, Archie has become an institution (and, i know he’d chuckle at that and ask for clarification) and apparently now remains the sole reason to bother with this confused paper.
Reporting on personnel movements like this is very helpful, Esrati. Please keep at it: DDN, other media, agencies, important businesses, government at all levels, organizations. Anything you can do to keep us informed of important comings and goings is much appreciated. There’s so little in the way of local news reporting around here it’s easy to be lost in the dark. You’re our only hope.
Do I see something akin to the “Esrati Daily News” in your future? Perhaps the “Esrati Post?”
Keep up the good work!
What ^^ said x 1000.
I grew up reading the Dayton Daily News. Some of my first concert reviews came from Betty Dietz Krebs, longtime DDN columnist.
It’s just painful to try and read it these days. Nothing of any substance. Really sad.
Not a surprise really. In 2000 newspaper ad revenue nationwide was ~67B. Now it is under ~20B. This is an industry wide phenomenon.
Archdeacon retired and is just writing whenever he wants because he can. Never let the facts get in the way of a story (David never does).
RE: PREVIOUS POST – I’m surprised your neighbor’s wifi signal makes it through the metal siding on your trailer.
@Esrati is a drunk (this made me laugh really hard)
Did we see a retirement story that I missed? I remember when DL Stewart, Mary McCarty, Huffman- etc retired… but not one on either of these:
How did I miss my “facts”
“And it’s been kept a secret- but both Meredith Moss and Tom Archdeacon aren’t really with the paper anymore- they’re just contract staffers now.
For some of us, Arch is the only reason we bother to pay for the damn thing.”