Star-Ledger's self-examination

By: Joe Strupp anonymous letter Prompts 'open door' meetings

A three-page letter of complaints ? purportedly written by more than two dozen staff members at The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., but signed by none ? prompted newspaper officials to seek employee input on newsroom operations and Editor Jim Willse to convene two open-door meetings with staff to air worker gripes.
Willse, known for his tough-love approach to newsroom life during stints at the San Francisco Examiner and the New York Daily News, told Editor & Publisher that the letter was not a complete surprise, given his efforts to infuse new energy and quality in the newspaper since taking over in 1995. But he said he wished any employee with concerns would have felt free to approach him without fear of retaliation.
"I'm sorry it was done anonymously," Willse said of the letter that first surfaced in mid-September. "We have a tradition of open-door discussions here. It is somewhat disappointing that people would feel uncomfortable with that."
The letter, signed by "The Twenty-Seven," claims to have been written by 27 employees contending that life at the paper has been "poisoned" by editors who are "sullen, isolated, and mean-spirited."
Addressed to Donald Newhouse, president of The Star-Ledger's parent Advance Publications, and Publisher Martin Bartner, the letter contends that morale is low, working conditions are demeaning, and reporters are abused. "Are they trying to break us in some basic training ritual?" the letter said. "It has been quite a while since workers at The Star-Ledger have been treated with dignity." Newhouse declined to comment, referring all inquiries to Willse. Bartner's secretary said the publisher is on a long-term leave of absence and could not be reached for comment.
Willse would not respond to specific complaints in the letter, but said it makes some points that needed to be addressed. "The letter obviously expresses some concerns that some members of the staff have, and we need to be attentive to that," he said. "We are working on ways we can shorten any communication gap between the bureaus and editors."
Shortly after the letter arrived, newspaper officials posted a statement in the newsroom from Newhouse outlining the paper's general open-door policy and inviting any employee with complaints to bring them to the paper's executives. Next, Willse organized two meetings open to any bureau or newsroom employees with complaints. The first meeting occurred about three weeks ago, while the second took place Oct. 4, he said.
"I think Jim has handled it the right way," said Mark Di Ionno, assistant managing editor for local news. "It's an internal thing that is being handled well."
Several employees, who requested anonymity, offered mixed reactions to the letter. Some newer staffers, who were brought in by Willse in recent years, doubted that 27 people were behind the letter, speculating that it was likely the work of a small group of disgruntled, veteran employees upset that Willse wanted them to work harder. Others said a split of sorts had taken place among staff, with one faction consisting of newer employees hired by Willse and the other of veterans loyal to former editor Mort Pye, who held the top post for 31 years before stepping down in 1995. Pye died in 1997.

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(copyright: Editor & Publisher October 9, 1999) [Caption]