Bummer

It's been awhile, but when the NBA playoffs kick in and the Lakers go on a run, my priorities change. Now that the postseason has ended with yet another NBA title for the purple and gold, I'm back. At least until the Dodgers reach the postseason.

On a more somber note...

When you spend 30 years in an industry, you make a lot of friends and even more acquaintances. And never in my years in newspapers have I seen a greater sense of despair among journalists than today. People who were commited to this business just months ago are looking for work elsewhere. Reporters who have spent years refining their craft are ready to take their skills someplace they feel they will be appreciated. And to be brutally honest, much of it is due to the utter lack of leadership in a profession that failed to see the potential impact of the Web and compounded that failure with inaction once it became apparent.

People are fed up. Scared. Resigned to a future in which they feel the priority is rapidly shifting to quantity over quality. And until they see some sort of leadership from folks who get paid a heckuva lot more than me, the exodus will continue.

Me? I'm still celebrating another Lakers championship.

Besides, it isn't all bad news. According to this story, the Union-Tribune's Web site is one of the better ones around. Or at least not one of the worst.