Will the last one leaving The Dallas Morning News please turn out the lights?

Most of their arts critics gone. Belt-tightening elsewhere. A one-fifth cut in overall editorial staff, as listed here.

Of course, the Snooze is going to spin this the best it can, including a “fluff” bombardment of local news stories the next few Sundays.

That said, many of those will be written by freelancers. And, even with that, especially when you discard fluff features, the Snooze still won’t have the breadth of local hard news coverage that my suburban newspaper group offers.

Yet, just as the Snooze has dysfunctionally whored for years for recognition as a “national,” not a “regional” newspaper, so too will many Metroplex residents, especially in the Southern Sector, whore for coverage in the pages of the Snooze.

Meanwhile, despite a major employer too cheap to even offer a free résumé writing seminar (thought both the Detroit Free Press and Arizona Republic [former employer of op-ed editor Keven Ann Willey] have no problem with providing one gratis — read the blog linked above) is slashing a fifth of the staff, you have some dysfunctional employees who still hold up the Snooze as the greatest thing since sliced bread, as posted on the Dallas Observer’s blog, in a quoted e-mail.

Speaking as one of the 85% of the newroom that is not taking the buyout: We are not chopped liver, damnit! Yeah, this sucks. And yes, we are losing some very good people. But some very good journalists will remain.

I’m no toadie for management and the myriad ways they’ve made things worse. But here’s a sad truth: Even a diminished DMN will be better than most other papers in the country. And will still have by far far far far the largest news gathering staff and news hole (or however you want to measure available news info) in NTx. And will still have more than a couple of talented folks.

Did you happen to catch Josh Benton’s weekend double, for instance, on school testing, cheating and the truly moronic ways our Texas ed officials are (not) dealing with it?

So show a bit of sensitivity for us, if you don’t mind.”

To which I responded in the comments:

Sorry, but I don’t agree with the News employee.

First, he IS being apologetic. Most semi-major to major companies at least shill out for resume training or job-hunting seminars when you get downsized. Some even let you use office space or facilities during a couple of months of transition time.

But noooo, not the mighty A.H. Belo. A recruiter is coming down from the Detroit Free Press for a resume seminar gratis and the mighty Belo can’t shell out for one of its own.

And you STILL want to play suck-up? Be my guest.

Second, one of the areas the Snooze always touts about itself is sports — number of APME awards, etc. Well, losing your section editor plus three columnists might diminish chances at more of that hardware.

Third, losing your three top arts and entertainment critics (not counting personal favorite Scott Cantrell, although he, too, may have accepted)? At least the pop music critics are still there (I think).

If Belo had been thinking, it would have instead saved money at three papers a couple of years ago while sparing some ax-swinging, by consolidating its D.C. bureaus for Dallas, Providence, R.I., and Riverside, Calif. But some Dallas Belo exec was probably still harboring wet dreams of the News being a true national newspaper. Well, it ain’t happening.

As for largest news-gathering staff in north Texas, etc., what about the rumblings that the StartleGram might move east?

Josh Benton’s story? Could have been better in part 1… looked like it gave somewhat of a pass to rich kids. (I’m from the southside.) And it certainly deserved better than the typical wishy-washy editorial. (Thought that was all supposed to change a few years back?)

I have no problems showing sensitivity; I’ll show more once News employees, or soon-to-be former employees, start showing more reality.

And, not all print media in the Dallas area is dying, either. In fact, some (and no, I’m not referencing the StartleGram) is growing.