The fate of the Globe goes down to the wire

>> Emily: GOOD EVENING,
WELCOME TO OUR WEEKLY BEAT THE
PRESS EDITION OF GREATER BOSTON.
OUR TOPICS, DECISION DAY AT THE
BOSTON GLOBE.
WILL "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
SHUTTER BOSTON'S BIGGEST DAILY.
PREPAREDNESS OR PENNANT, THE
SWINE FLU COVERAGE AND JAY
SEVERIN'S SUSPENSION.
THE PRIVATE LIFE GOES PUBLIC, ON
JOHN HENRY'S LOVE LIFE.
JOINING ME ARE DAN KENNEDY OF
NORTH EASTERN UNIVERSITY,
TELEVISION COMMENTATOR, KELLY
CROSSLEY, JOE SCIACCA OF THE
BOSTON HERALD AND ADAM REILLY.
THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO END AT
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT IF "THE NEW
YORK TIMES" DOES NOT OFFER AN
EXTENSION, A VOTE WILL COME
WITHIN A MONTH.
TODAY GLOBE REPORTS WILL GO ON
THE RECORD AS DOES EDITOR MARTY
BARON.
INSIDE THE BOSTON GLOBE NEWS
ROOM THIS MORNING, IT WAS
BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL.
>> IT WAS DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW.
MY JOB'S ON THE LINE TOO, I'M A
MEMBER OF THE UNION.
>> Emily: THE STORY HE'S
COVERING IS ABOUT HIS OWN PAPER.
SOMETIME LATE TONIGHT IT'S
EXPECTED NEGOTIATIONS WILL END
AND UNIONS WILL LATER DECIDE
WHETHER TO ACCEPT DRASTIC CUTS
PAY AND BENEFITS.
REPORTER BRIAN MOONY SAYS "THE
NEW YORK TIMES" ASKED FOR EVEN
MORE CUTS AT THE LAST MINUTE IS
A BAD TIME.
>> NOW THEY MOVED THE GOAL POST
AT THE LAST MINUTE AFTER HOLDING
A GUN TO OUR HEAD SAYING WE NEED
AN AGREEMENT IN 30 DAYS.
THE UNION'S OUTRAGED.
WE WERE SPLIT OVER A NUMBER OF
ISSUES.
WE'RE NOT SPLIT ANYMORE.
WE JUST DON'T THINK THE COMPANY
CAN BEATRICEED.
>> Emily: GLOBE EDITOR MARTY
BARON REMAINS OPTIMISTIC.
>> MY HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE WILL
REACH AN AGREEMENT AND WE WILL
GO ON.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT
EVERYBODY'S WORKING TOWARD.
THE COMPANY HAS MADE CLEAR THAT
THE OBJECTIVE HERE IS NOT TO
SHUT DOWN THE GLOBE, THE
OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO KEEP THE
GLOBE OPERATING ON A SUSTAINABLE
BASIS.
>> Emily: THE COMPANY BARON
IS REFERRING TO IS "THE NEW YORK
TIMES."
OWNERS OF THE GLOBE WHO HAVE
REFUSED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE
THREAT TO SHUT DOWN THE GLOBE.
DID HE SHOW ANY --
>> IT'S FRUSTRATING FROM A A
JOURNALISTIC STAND POINTED.
I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE IN THE
MIDDLE OF VERY SENSITIVE
NEGOTIATIONS, HIGH STAKES
NEGOTIATIONS AND THEIR POSITION
I BELIEVE IS THEY WANT TO DO THE
TALKING AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE
AND NOT OUTSIDE OF THAT ROOM.
THAT SAID, THERE IS A PUBLIC
RELATIONS ASPECT OF THIS, A
COMMUNITY RELATIONS ASPECT OF
THIS AND A JOURNALISTIC ASPECT
OF THIS.
AND WE WOULD PREFER THAT THEY
OPEN UP TO US AS WELL.
MENT BUT I'M NOT IN CONTROL OF
THAT.
>> Emily: BARON ADMITS IT'S
BEEN TOUGH COVERING A BIG STORY
ABOUT THEMSELVES.
>> OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD PREFER TO
BE COVERING SOMEONE ELSE.
IT'S AWKWARD BECAUSE THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE COVERING THE STORIES ARE
AFFECTED BY THE STORY AS WELL.
AND THE PLAYERS FROM THAT STORY
ARE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE.
>> Emily: PEOPLE LIKE BRIAN
MOONY WHO DON'T BELIEVE THE
BARGAINING IS IN GOOD FAITH.
>> MANAGEMENT HAS NOT SUFFERED
THE SAME TYPES OF CUTS WE HAVE.
AT THE TIME WHEN OUR 401K, THEY
WILL START MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS,
THEY'RE INCREASING IT, THE
MATCHING FUNDS FROM 3 TO 5%.
>> Emily: HOWEVER IT SHAKES
DOWN, THEY BELIEVE THEY'VE DONE
THEIR BEST TO COVER A STORY
WHERE VIRTUALLY NO ONE WANTS TO
GO TO THE RECORD.
>> I'M NOT QUOTING PEOPLE
ANONYMOUSLY.
I'VE TOLD PEOPLE IF THEY WANT TO
GO ON THE RECORD, I'M HAPPY TO
PUT THEM ON THE RECORD.
>> Emily: MEANWHILE THERE'S
NO DOUBT THERE WILL BE A PAPER
TOMORROW AS FOR THE FUTURE.
HAS IT ACTUALLY DAWNED ON YOU
THIS COULD HAPPEN.
>> WELL I'M TRYING TO THINK
POSITIVELY, EMILY ABOUT THIS.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WE WILL BE
HERE, THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO
BE A MAJOR FORCE
JOURNALISTICALLY.
THAT'S HOW I'M THINKING ABOUT
IT.
I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY WE WON'T BE HERE,
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL BE
HERE.
>> Emily: IT'S INTERESTING
WALKING AROUND THE NEWS ROOM
TODAY LISTENING TO VARIOUS
PEOPLE.
THERE'S A VERY POSITIVE MESSAGE
COMING THROUGH FROM MARTY BARON
AND SEVERAL OF THE OTHER EDITORS
IN THE NEWS ROOM.
IT'S NOT((·
FRUSTRATION ESPECIALLY DIRECTS
TOWARDS "THE NEW YORK TIMES."
MARTY BARON WAS HONEST ABOUT
THAT, THAT THEY ARE A
JOURNALISTIC ENDEAVOR AND
ANOTHER ONE IS EVEN
ACKNOWLEDGING THE SERIOUSNESS OF
THE SITUATION OR REALLY TO OPEN
UP THEIR BOOKS AND HAVE ANYBODY
ELSE STUDY WHAT THE SITUATION
IS.
SO I DON'T KNOW.
BRIAN MOONY SEEMS TO THINK THAT
THE NEGOTIATION DEADLINES WILL
SORT OF PUTTER OUT, PETER OUT
AND THERE WILL BE A UNION VOTE
AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT MONTH.
>> I THINK ULTIMATELY THE GLOBE
IS GOING TO BE OKAY ALTHOUGH IT
MAY BE MUCH SMALLER AND WITH A
DIFFERENT OWNER THAN WHAT WE'VE
HAD UP UNTIL NOW.
I THINK IT WAS A REALLY GOOD
MOVE THAT MARTY BARON SAT DOWN
AND SPOKE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON
AT THE GLOBE.
BECAUSE GIVEN OWNERSHIP'S
REFUSAL TO SAY ANYTHING, BARON
IS BY FAR THE MOST CREDIBLE
PERSON WHO CAN SPEAK OUT ABOUT
THIS.
HE'S REALLY BEEN A STALL WART
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE THING, THE
PAPER COMES OUT EVERY DAY, THE
QUAWFL IS STILL GOOD.
AND I THINK IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR
FROM HIM.
BUT IT WOULD STILL BE NICE TO
HERE FROM ARTHUR SOLESBERG JR.
>> IT'S GOING TO BE
EXTRAORDINARILY FRUSTRATING FOR
THE REPORTERS AND EDITORS
WORKING THERE RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE THE HERALD
WHEN THERE WAS A CASE WHERE
HEARST SEES WE'RE SHUTTING IT
DOWN.
HERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
SHADOW GAME IS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON
BEHIND THE SCENE.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYONE
ABOUT A POTENTIAL FOR BUYING THE
GLOBE.
WHETHER THEY WANT TO SIMPLY GO
THROUGH A PROCESS AND THEN STILL
SHUT DOWN THE PAPER.
WHETHER THE TIMES WANTS TO GO
INTO BANKRUPTCY AND TRY TO
REORGANIZE THAT WAY THE WHOLE
GLOBE HOLDINGS.
THERE'S A LOT POTENTIALLY GOING
ON THAT ANYONE HAS A CLUE ABOUT
IT AND THAT'S FRUSTRATING.
>> I LIKE THAT PHRASE SHADOW
GAME.
AND I THINK THIS STATEMENT ON
THE PART OF MANAGEMENT AT 11:00
P.M. ON WEDNESDAY.
IN FACT, THE BOSTON NEWSPAPER
ACTUALLY NEEDS TO MAKE FIVE
MINUTE MORE IN CUTS THEY'VE BEEN
TELLING THEM FOR THE BETTER PART
OF FIVE MONTHS.
THAT RAISES THE POSSIBILITY, IF
THEY MAKE THAT STATEMENT OF
ERROR AND REFUSE TO EXTEND THE
DEADLINE IT SEEMS LIKE A HARD
BALL BARGAIN TINGE TACTIC AND
THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO GET THE
DEAL DONE OR A GOOD REASON TO
TAKE IT INTO BANKRUPTCY.
>> Emily: THEY WERE
SUGGESTING IF IT'S YOUR MISTAKE
ABOUT THE 80 EMPLOYEES THAT
DIDN'T REALLY COUNT AND WE HAVE
TO ACTUALLY RECONFIGURE THIS
WHOLE MESS, THEN WE SHOULD START
THE NEGOTIATIONS OVER FROM THREE
WEEKS AGO.
BECAUSE WE WERE NEGOTIATING
BASED ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET
OF DATA BEEN.
>> THE NEWS ROOM IN PARTICULAR
WAS MORE AMENABLE TO SOME OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE PAPER AND PLEDGED
THE PAPER TO MAKING THE
CONCESSIONS THAT NEW YORK
WANTED.
AND NOW PEOPLE IN THE NEWS ROOM
AREN'T.
THEY THINK THEY'RE BEING PLAYED
BY THE TIMES COMPANY SO THAT'S
LESS LIKELY SOMETHING GOING TO
HAPPEN THAT'S GOOD.
>> Emily:
I THINK
THEY ARE MESSAGING IN THESE
COMMENTS THEY'VE MADE.
THEY ARE MESSAGED BY SAYING NOW
WE WANT SOME MORE, WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT AND I
THINK MARTY BARON GOING ON THE
RECORD TODAY HE'S MESSAGING
LISTEN THIS IS WHO WE ARE, THIS
IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND
YOU'RE NOT SAYING ANYTHING.
AND IT MAKES AN IMPACT HERE.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE BOTH
MESSAGES.
HOW THEY'RE BEING RECEIVED ON
EITHER END, I DO NOT KNOW.
I DO THINK THAT SOMETHING COULD
HAPPEN TO THE GLOBE.
I THINK IT CAN GO ON-LINE AND
MARTY BARON HAS SPOKEN ABOUT
THIS.
IF IT DOES, IT WILL BE EXACTLY
WHAT 9 THE POST INTELLIGENCE NOW
THAN ITS NEW EDITION ON-LINE,
SMALLER AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
NOT READING IT AS MUCH AS THEY
DID WHEN IT WAS AT PAPER
EDITION.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT
THE GLOBE COULDN'T DRIVE TRAFFIC
AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT ENTITY.
THAT'S SOMETHING ON-LINE WITH
THE GLOBE.
>> IT CAN'T SUPPORT THE LEVEL OF
REPORTING THAT GOES ON NOW
THOUGH.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT EVEN AS
SUCCESSFUL AS BOSTON.COM IS THE
REVENUES ARE THERE TO SUPPORT
THE LEVEL OF REPORTING THAT'S
DONE AT THE GLOBE NOW.
IT WILL BE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT
SITUATION I THINK.
>> THE GLOBE IS NOT GOING TO GO
TOTALLY ON-LINE.
BUT IT CERTAINLY MAY CUT BACK A
NUMBER OF EDITIONS IT PRINTS
DURING THE WEEK.
A PRETTY KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON
TOLD ME EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT
THE SUNDAY GLOBE MAKES 60% OF
THE AD REVENUES THAT THE ENTIRE
PAPER GETS.
SO YOU COULD ALMOST IMAGINE A
WEB-ONLY PLUS A SUNDAY PAPER.
OR MAYBE WEB PLUS THURSDAY,
FRIDAY, SUNDAY, SOME COMBINATION
LIKE THAT.
>> EXACTLY.
YOU WANT TO KEEP SOME PRINT
PRESENCE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE
MOST OF YOUR REVENUE COMES FROM
BUT YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING
TO THE PUT IT OUT SEVEN DAYS A
WEEK.
>> Emily: I WANT TO BASH "THE
NEW YORK TIMES" A LITTLE BIT
MORE.
>> I DO TOO.
>> Emily: WE HAVE CONTACTED
KATHRYN, NO FEWER THAN A DOZEN
TIMES ON THIS STORY.
NEVER MIND EVEN OTHERS IN THE
MOST THAT THEY'VE REFUSED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE.
WE GOT A MESSAGE TODAY SAYING
SHE IS ON A DAY OFF.
I SAID THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HOW
IMPORTANT THIS DEADLINE IS TO
THE SPOKES PERSON AT "THE NEW
YORK TIMES."
I'VE ALSO E-MAILED THE PUBLIC
EDITOR, CLARK HOYT AND A COUPLE
REPORTERS JUST ASKING THEM SOME
BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
COVERAGE OF THIS STORY IN THEIR
OWN PAPER.
THE FACT THAT THAT PAPER HASN'T
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS STORY
ESSENTIALLY EXISTS, THAT THEY'RE
THREATENING TO SHUT THIS DOWN.
THEY HAVE MENTIONED IT AS I
POINTED OUT IN THE PAST.
IT HAS BEEN A BLURB IN THE
PAPER.
MY FATHER SAID IT'S PART OF THE
BOSTON ONLY STORY AND I SAID NO
IT ISN'T THEY'VE MADE IT THE
BOSTON ONLY STORY.
AND THE VIABILITY OF THAT
NEWSPAPER.
>> I THINK TO YOUR POINT THIS
MORNING AS I'M WATCHING THE MORE
THAN NEWS SHOWS I WAS TAKING BY
THE FACT IT WASN'T A PART OF
THAT.
THE TENSION THAT'S GOING ON THE
DEBATE, THE DEADLINE WAS NOT ANY
PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
IF WE GO BACK TO THE SEATTLE
POST INTELLIGENCER, REMEMBER THE
COVERAGE.
I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO GAZE
ABOUT EVERY INTET THAT BELONGS
TO US.
IT'S STRIKING AND I THINK THE
BOSTON GLOBE AS AN ENTITY HAS
MORE POWER OR PRESENCE THAN THE
SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER DID
AND I FIND THAT FASCINATING.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT.
THE GLOBE IS PROBABLY THE
BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT PAPER
TO BE THREATENED.
AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE BEEN
A BIG NATIONAL STORY THE WAY
SOME OF THESE OTHER PAPERS HAVE
BEEN.
IT'S KIND OF FASCINATING.
>> IT IS HARD TO PORTRAY THE
TIMES AS MOTHER ENGLAND LOOKING
BACK AT THE COLONIES AND SAY
LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM.
THE TIMES STRUGGLES FOR ITS OWN
SURVIVAL AND I THINK THE PEOPLE
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU
TRIED TO REACH MAY HAVE
ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE ASIDE OF THE
SUNCH BUT NO CLUE WHAT THE END
GAME IS.
>> Emily: ME DID WRITE A
PROFORM AWE E-MAIL THAT SHE'S
OUT OF THE OFFICE AND THE
NEGOTIATIONS ARE CONTINUING.
HARDLY A NAIL BITER FOR THEM.
>> THE REASON YOU'RE NOT SEEING
IT AS A NATIONAL STORY IS
BECAUSE IF "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
SETS THE AGENDA, OKAY, ACROSS
THE BOARD FOR A LOT OF NATIONAL
COVERAGE AND THE STORY FOR THEM
IS NOT THE BOSTON GLOBE, AND
WHETHER OR NOT IT MEETS ITS
DEADLINE, RIGHT.
THEN THERE YOU GO, THAT'S BACK
TO YOUR POINT.