25-66’s lack of Coronavirus response plan

[Beerbong]

Not my concern.
And I’m sure it not yours either.

[Beerbong]

By the way, don’t forget about SVSU!
Ain’t the internet great!

[sinklair]

What do you have against Tom Hanks?

And if you’re going to list off all Michigan schools going to online instruction, you should have also included:
Michigan State
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Flint, Dearborn)
Central Michigan
Michigan Tech
Western Michigan
Wayne State
Ferris State
University of Detroit Mercy
Lawrence Tech
Hope College
Grand Valley
Eastern Michigan
Oakland University
Saginaw Valley
Lake Superior

Who do you think puts information on the website? Do you think it’s magic?

Try to get it right moving forward. And please pray for the safety and well-being of America’s sweetheart Tom Hanks. And let’s hope no 25-66 staff member gets the Coronavirus due to the incompetence of management and lack of a response plan.

[Herm]

Audio: 25-66’s plan amounts to wash your hands and stay home unpaid for two plus weeks if you need to be quarantined.

When you’re making wages barely above minimum wage and don’t get two weeks of sick leave, this is a disincentive for journalists to take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their coworkers if you have to choose between staying home or going to work to pay bills.

A company like Sinclair Broadcasting should have a better plan than what they sent us. Hopefully, like R Bedell says, this turns into nothing. But we shouldn’t have to financially suffer for doing our jobs for a penny pinching company that doesn’t want to pay its employees to stay home while under a company imposed quarantine.

Stink
Don’t you get 40 hours sick time like normal people?

When I was there we got 80.

[sinklair]

Herm: That wasn’t under SBG, that was under Barrington, right?

A lot of the benefits packages changed after Sinclair took over, the UAW left, and Sinclair put in its “standard” benefits package.

[sinklair]

If media organizations don’t get in front of this and put in policies, there will be people in our stations that contract Coronavirus and will be quarantined and possibly infect other coworkers. As hard as it is some days to cover news with our limited staffing, can you imagine how hard it would be to put on newscasts if several people are holed up for two plus weeks, especially key positions like directors, engineers, producers and other behind the scenes support staff where there is little to no backup. All communication we’ve received recently has been very basic with little to no specifics. Granted things are changing quick, just wish those in charge were taking it as seriously as those of us out in the field potentially exposing ourselves as we cover this epidemic.

[sinklair]

What would you call it?

[sinklair]

Don’t know where you’re getting increased ratings and revenue. I know sales is concerned about advertisers pulling back their commercial spots if things continue to go downhill. No one’s buying cars, etc. unless their filled with toilet paper and Clorox wipes.

Yes some of the National media hype is overdone, but I think all 3 local stations are trying their best to put out the best and latest information in a calm matter.

Don’t know what your background is, but mine’s not in infectious disease control so we’re asking questions of the people in charge of protecting our communities.

[sinklair]

The media isn’t shutting down schools. The media isn’t suspending sports play. The media isn’t selling off stocks prompting wild swings in the stock markets. The media isn’t instituting a travel ban. The media isn’t running out to the stores to buy up all the toilet paper — which I can’t believe is a real thing...

The media is reporting these developments in real time. That’s our job. Our job isn’t to scare, but to inform, educate and to question those in power whose job it is to respond to this pandemic. I would caution my colleagues to watch the words and the tone of their coverage to not add to the hysteria, to use calm and clear language. But the media bashing by the President and others is misplaced. The media didn’t cause the Coronavirus outbreak, but I’m hoping with a more educated populace that maybe this will not be as severe as we’re seeing overseas.

Stay home if you’re sick. Practice good hygiene. Take care of the elderly and those with compromised immunity. And turn to trusted health leaders for advice on how to respond. There’s a lot of false information spreading, especially on social media and the web.

That’s why many of us are looking to our leadership to lead with actionable plans to protect journalists who will be out in the field reporting on community impacts. Hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes only go so far.

[Beerbong]

The media isn’t shutting down schools. The media isn’t suspending sports play. The media isn’t selling off stocks prompting wild swings in the stock markets. The media isn’t instituting a travel ban. The media isn’t running out to the stores to buy up all the toilet paper — which I can’t believe is a real thing...

The media is reporting these developments in real time. That’s our job. Our job isn’t to scare, but to inform, educate and to question those in power whose job it is to respond to this pandemic. I would caution my colleagues to watch the words and the tone of their coverage to not add to the hysteria, to use calm and clear language. But the media bashing by the President and others is misplaced. The media didn’t cause the Coronavirus outbreak, but I’m hoping with a more educated populace that maybe this will not be as severe as we’re seeing overseas.

Stay home if you’re sick. Practice good hygiene. Take care of the elderly and those with compromised immunity. And turn to trusted health leaders for advice on how to respond. There’s a lot of false information spreading, especially on social media and the web.

That’s why many of us are looking to our leadership to lead with actionable plans to protect journalists who will be out in the field reporting on community impacts. Hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes only go so far.

OK Stink.
What would be your plan of action?

[sinklair]

For starts... I’d start with limiting guests into the station. We’re still bringing in people for interviews. We need to stop forcing anchors and reporters to do public appearances for a period of time. Our jobs are informing the public, not school talks or MCing events.

I’d have all non-essential broadcast personnel work from home. Limit meetings and conduct them via conference calls. Web and social media updates can be done from home remotely. Simplify the newscasts and reduce staffing where possible.

Share more stories with other sister stations, affiliate stations, CNN. Why are we all replicating the same stories instead of sharing this material?

Have all phone calls into the front desk and newsroom forwarded to an off-site number that could be answered by a staffer.

Provide food for station-based staff and field crews so they’re not having to go to stores, restaurants and exposing themselves to others.

I’d work with the other stations in town to pool video for news conferences, etc. See if organizations holding events can submit pictures so we don’t need to send crews to as many events.

I’d do more Skype/FaceTime interviews instead of in-person interviews when possible.

I’d provide all field crews camera gear, laptop editors, computers, LiveUs to take this gear home and produce stories outside the station. They need to be provided with disinfecting wipes to wipe down desks, computers, phones, camera gear, shared vehicles, microphones, etc.

I’d ramp up cleaning and disinfecting the office to twice a day.

I’d make sure that all employees who need to stay home because they’re ill or have to be home to take care of kids who are now out of school don’t have to go without a paycheck or lose benefits... including part timers.

I’d actually listen to the front line crews who have been talking about these changes for days while managers provide little direction.

Granpappy, You constantly say it’s not your job to provide solutions. It’s not mine either. I’m not management. But I’ve provided a dozen more suggestions to address concerns than you ever have. But you still feel the station owes us “poor slobs” (as you’ve called us) NOTHING... including creating a safe workplace. Your attacks on anyone who dares challenge 25-66 management are pathetic.

If you want more suggestions, pose that same question to 25-66’s accountant in chief, ASSistant GM, HR Director/party planner and “in over her head” News Director... you know the persons whose job it is to actually make these decisions and protect their workers.

[sinklair]

R Bedell: you claim to be a former firefighter/EMT. Then actually listen to health experts who say this is a serious threat and not enough is being done to control the spread of this disease. You know: science. Or is science dead too?

Just to be clear, if you’re taking the stance that we shouldn’t be taking reasonable steps to protect ourselves, then you leave me no choice but to ban you from 25-66’s next grilled cheese party. Once things calm down, though, I hope you’ll be happy and healthy and can join us for one of our celebrated F-Off Fridays!

[sinklair]

Enjoy your dose of Coronavirus. I hope you recover quickly. When you have been cleared by real medical professionals, let me know and we’ll send a card signed by 25-66 management!

[sinklair]

The card isn’t an option. It’s mandatory so 25-66 managers can sleep at night knowing they did one thing good... all while not taking steps to protect their workers from a global pandemic, not paying them a livable wage, and the list goes on.

But I’m sure the HR Director/party planner will have lots of “I’m glad you survived the global Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, and all I received was this lousy card from 25-66!”

[Beerbong]

For starts... I’d start with limiting guests into the station. We’re still bringing in people for interviews. We need to stop forcing anchors and reporters to do public appearances for a period of time. Our jobs are informing the public, not school talks or MCing events.

I’d have all non-essential broadcast personnel work from home. Limit meetings and conduct them via conference calls. Web and social media updates can be done from home remotely. Simplify the newscasts and reduce staffing where possible.

Share more stories with other sister stations, affiliate stations, CNN. Why are we all replicating the same stories instead of sharing this material?

Have all phone calls into the front desk and newsroom forwarded to an off-site number that could be answered by a staffer.

Provide food for station-based staff and field crews so they’re not having to go to stores, restaurants and exposing themselves to others.

I’d work with the other stations in town to pool video for news conferences, etc. See if organizations holding events can submit pictures so we don’t need to send crews to as many events.

I’d do more Skype/FaceTime interviews instead of in-person interviews when possible.

I’d provide all field crews camera gear, laptop editors, computers, LiveUs to take this gear home and produce stories outside the station. They need to be provided with disinfecting wipes to wipe down desks, computers, phones, camera gear, shared vehicles, microphones, etc.

I’d ramp up cleaning and disinfecting the office to twice a day.

I’d make sure that all employees who need to stay home because they’re ill or have to be home to take care of kids who are now out of school don’t have to go without a paycheck or lose benefits... including part timers.

I’d actually listen to the front line crews who have been talking about these changes for days while managers provide little direction.

Granpappy, You constantly say it’s not your job to provide solutions. It’s not mine either. I’m not management. But I’ve provided a dozen more suggestions to address concerns than you ever have. But you still feel the station owes us “poor slobs” (as you’ve called us) NOTHING... including creating a safe workplace. Your attacks on anyone who dares challenge 25-66 management are pathetic.

If you want more suggestions, pose that same question to 25-66’s accountant in chief, ASSistant GM, HR Director/party planner and “in over her head” News Director... you know the persons whose job it is to actually make these decisions and protect their workers.

A lot of great suggestions.
As usual, most are pie in the sky.
Thanks.