TWT

The reason: A TWT insider tells FishbowlDC that the publication is bleeding money. More specifically, management was told they had three years to get to zero subsidy from the parent company. Only six months are left on that timetable and TWT is still tens of millions away from breaking even. We’re told management is “cornered and desperate” and doesn’t have many cards to play.

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The Washington Times management is putting thumb screws to the staff to get them to rat out the leakers to FishbowlDC. On the table for consideration: calling each staffer in one by one to ask if they have any knowledge of the leaking. As we already know, Chairman Tom McDevitt has been keeping staffers’ phone records under surveillance to see what calls are coming in and going out.

TWT‘s neverending bastion of bloated suits has, so far, refused to speak to FBDC for any of our coverage. One executive reached out but refused to speak on the record — that was more a lecturing kind of phone call. A teachable moment, some might say. “Don’t you just love a media company that has an absolutely strict policy against ever talking to the press ever?” asked a TWT insider.

The past few weeks has seen a rise in stories concerning The Washington Times as some 25 people were laid off on Friday. Last month, Executive Editor David Jackson warned that a restructuring was coming, but he left out key details — such as when and who. So staffers had to endure the holidays agonizing over whether they’d even have a job come the new year. To recap: Three days later, on Monday, TWT threw staff a newsroom party — oh boy! — and fed them sugary snacks (cookies, cakes and pies) to help ease the pain of an unstable newsroom filled with uncertainty. We’re told some remained at their desks out of loyalty to the departed. At the gabfest, they formally announced that John Solomon, the editor that left under angry circumstances in 2009, was returning full-time in addition to a plate-thrower named Ian Bishop (a real journalist with a favorable rep who comes to them by way of the New York Daily News.) Both men are assuming digital roles.

Here’s where things get strange….At the party, CEO Larry Beasley (a.k.a. “Evil Santa”), who drove up from Florida in his honking motorhome to take the job, joked that someone should… continued…

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As we hinted at earlier this morning, TWT has created two new digital positions: Chief Digital Officer and Digital Editor. Those positions will be held by former TWTer and currently a TWT consultant, John Solomon, and Ian Bishop, formerly of the New York Daily News.

As the release states, Solomon was formerly Executive Editor through 2009. But what they don’t say is as important as what they do, such as that he was pushed to resign, and let’s just say it wasn’t so he could spend more time with his family.

Nonetheless, a cheery quote from COO John Martin on his return. “John is a leading media innovator for creating new digital channels to expand the delivery of content and marketing communication. We are fortunate to have him back at The Times to focus on developing new products, new revenue streams, and new partnerships,” said Martin in a release.

In turn, Bishop will be Digital Editor. And in other surprising news, Editor Emeritus Wes Pruden, Editor-in-Chief until 2007, will be returning to oversee a restructuring of the editorial page and Commentary section. He will continue to write his twice-weekly column.

President and CEO Larry Beasley (a.k.a. “Evil Santa”) weighed in on Pruden. “Our readers know Wes for his witty political commentary, but he also has a keen sense of how to lift The Washington Times’ opinion pages to a higher level to provide intellectual leadership on such issues as free enterprise, strong defense, and traditional American values,” said Beasley in the release.

Of course, Beasley never mentions the dirty little secrets behind the real reasons why Pruden was allegedly forced into retirement. They involved allegations of racism and sexism in the organization under his management. For instance, Pruden once wrote in a TWT opinion piece that… continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Green, a relatively mild-mannered low-key brunette, was previously a books editor for Regnery Publishing and served in the White House speechwriting office of President George W. Bush. Her resume weaves on in other impressive directions. She was also a leadership staff member to then-Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, and did a stint as a policy advisor and press liaison at the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

See her ballsy letter…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We know you have one more year-end list in you. Or maybe you don’t. But wake up anyhow because here’s ours — the 12 things that never, ever make us want to take an afternoon snooze.

12. NBC Luke Russert‘s loud and fratboyish ways. Even House Speaker John Boehner has noted his decibel level and called him “loudmouth.” Though he’ll never get White House Soup of the Day quite right when he subs for Chuck Todd on “The Daily Rundown,” among our favorite moments with Luke this year was when he had a stop and smell the roses moment at a Nats game and took a picture of a spellbinding dragonfly, which he later posted on Twitter. Perhaps more poignantly though was when he covered a Capitol Hill presser and asked House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi if she was too old to remain in the Democratic leadership. The crowd of female lawmakers openly booed him. Pelosi told him he was offensive, even if he didn’t quite get it. Among the most entertaining comments sprang from CNN’s Hilary Rosen, who wrote on Twitter, “Note to Luke Russert: Mitch McConnell is 70, Harry Reid is 73. Oh and Bob Schieffer is 75. Think they should step aside? #NewGuysRule?” The question wasn’t an inappropriate one to raise, as lawmakers themselves had been discussing it out of earshot of Pelosi. Perhaps, as some noted, the time and setting and brash way in which Russert executed his questions were troublesome. Still, we especially enjoyed the commenters on Politico. There was the irate Wendy: “Luke Russert got his ass handed back to him. Any more questions, punk?” And the more sensible Chance: “Reporters should be asking tough, offensive and even stupid questions.”

11. Video journalist Michelle Fields flashing her breasts on national TV to get a job for Fox News. Her large male online contingency didn’t mind it much, either. In the meantime The Daily Caller gave her the axe for being lazy. Somehow Executive Editor David Martosko‘s lectures didn’t work? Favorite 2012 memory: There was the January manifesto from a convicted rapist that Michelle showed off on Facebook. But we’re torn between that and the more recent BuzzFeed party, where she unashamedly performed dramatic hair flips as our own Eddie Scarry snapped pictures.

10. Most things Matthew Boyle. The 20-something dogged journo never ceases to amaze. There was the time he insisted that the President of the Free World should allow him over for an interview. The more recent jaw-dropping moment from Boyle came when he fled The Daily Caller for Breitbart.com because he wants to be the next Andrew Breitbart. He started this adventure by taking his own photograph for the site, giving himself the unfortunate look of a triple-chinned Michelin Man. In his opening story out of the gate, he wrote an atrociously unedited right-wing rant about “magic vaginas.” We’re still not sure what those our, except we think they don’t involve Sandra Fluke. It was perfect. And terrible. And because we love Boyle in our own special way, we’d like to kidnap and deprogram him before it’s too late and the goose is boiled. Stick to breaking news Boyle and it’ll be just fine. And whatever you do, don’t stay there long.

9. Inside stories from The Washington Times. Always weird, unexpected, mind-boggling happenings at the ominous building off New York Avenue. Who can forget when former writer Julia Duin publicly accused then-editor Sam Dealey of verbally abusing her by canning her on the very day she decided to bring her daughter to work? She was also reportedly on crutches that day. And then there’s the more recent spate of stories concerning the impending layoffs coming in early 2013. The newsroom has dubbed their CEO Larry Beasley “Evil Santa” for a number of reasons, including recently moving a new sofa into his office while deciding whom to lay off. He also recently displayed a Santa doll holding a Christmas tree with the word “joy” on it. As the journalists await possible pink slips, they’re anything but joyful.

See the remaining eight entries of things that never bore us… continued…

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Impending layoffs at The Washington Times, in which as much as a quarter of the newsroom employees could see pink slips, has allegedly been delayed until January. One theory for the delay is that the incompetence level of management is so high that they couldn’t get their act together in time. Another is that insider sourcing tells us that Laura, the wife of CEO Larry Beasley (whom the staff now privately refers to as “Evil Santa”) has broken her leg.

“How awful is it to hold the axe over everybody’s heads and just keep them all waiting in fear for months,” a TWT insider told FishbowlDC on condition of anonymity. “Worst possible way to handle for morale.”

A fascinating detail: The individual reviewing all the departments to decide who they retain is none other than John Solomon — who was shown the door as editor in 2009 and went on to the Center of Public Integrity and Newsweek. Solomon rarely stays at a job too long and is known for leaving under dubious circumstances.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Employees are saying “Evil Santa” (the nickname bestowed on CEO Larry Beasley) is leading his reindeer to the slaughterhouse before Christmas. As for the picture here: That ugly reindeer crossing decoration is in the Human Resources office, from where the pink slips will be dispatched.

Reflecting on impending layoffs and talk of resignations beforehand, one journalist quipped, “If Evil Santa isn’t careful, he won’t have any reindeer left to make his Christmas Eve run.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

This week a Santa with the word “JOY” was displayed on an end table in Beasley’s office the day after news broke of his staff dubbing him “Evil Santa” in the face of layoffs. It does sorta look like Beasley, doesn’t it?

But an even clearer sign of Beasley’s questionable sensitivities to the approximately quarter of the newsroom staff that is expected to be given pink slips: He had a new sofa moved into his executive suite Thursday.

“So while the newsroom is worried about layoffs, the out-of-touch CEO is worried about getting a more comfortable couch,” a TWT insider told FishbowlDC.

Merry Christmas Beasley!

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The Washington Times

Some other sketchball details: Beasley drove up from Florida to take the job as TWT CEO in his motorhome. Says a TWT insider: “How low rent is that? This has TWT staff freaking out because how temporary is that that the head of the company could just drive away at any time and not look back — wouldn’t even have to pack. He was dusted off and brought out of retirement to take the job.” The clincher: The newsroom is afraid his real job is to close the newspaper and head back down into the Florida sunset.

Even so, the memo circulating this afternoon says the newspaper is absolutely “not folding.”

UPDATE: Jim Robbins resigned Monday from position as senior editorial writer for foreign affairs at The Washington Times. He resigned effective immediately. No notice.

See the memo from Editor David Jackson… continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

TWT

At least outwardly everyone is playing nice, although the release couldn’t sound more stiff and political. President and CEO Larry Beasley “thanked Mr. Decker for his contributions in furthering The Times’ reputation as a leading voice of conservative thought and opinion, and said The Times will continue to build on that reputation as it adapts to serve its readers in today’s fast-changing digital news environment.”

TWT is on the prowl for a new Editorial Page Editor. Until then… continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

While the search is on, the newsroom will report to Managing Editor Chris Dolan. Kelley arrived at TWT in June of 2011.

See the internal memo. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

See the internal memo…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.