Chinese Daily News cited in forcing long hours on staff

Irregular and long hours are common in newspaper work and those entering the field are geared up for the often rugged routine, reminds Grumpy Editor.

But being active in the newsroom for 72 hours a week on a regular basis is a bit draining, more so when supervisors call for no time out for meals or rest in violation of state and federal laws. 

It’s on par with a sweatshop.

So, in that atmosphere, about 200 past and current employees, including advertising and production staffers at the Chinese Daily News, sued.  After a four-year battle, a federal judge this week ordered the newspaper, based in Monterey Park, near Los Angeles, to pay staffers $5.18 million.

The Los Angeles Times cited Lynne Wang, a veteran reporter and one of the original plaintiffs, who mentioned a culture of fear was prevalent in the newsroom of the Chinese-language newspaper where supervisors reprimanded staffers who asked for overtime pay.  The reporter, who was fired and now is a radio broadcaster, said she worked up to 18 hours through the night.

Wang told the New York Times that "reporters were required to produce five stories a day which meant they had to race between news conferences and interviews for hours without a break.”

Grumpy Editor’s end-of-week leftover notes:

New York-based Ziff Davis Media Inc., publisher of video game and technology magazines, including PC Magazine, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing lower revenue from print advertising and subscriptions.  Perhaps an early indicator was mention to Grumpy Editor from a former PC Magazine contributor who described dealings with editors were somewhat confusing…Among Forbes magazine’s 1,125 billionaires in the world, India grabbed four names among the top 10…The headline on an Associated Press story out of Phoenix on Wednesday:  Study:  Illegal immigration costs border counties millions.  The “this just in” study by University of Arizona and San Diego State University researchers could have come up with similar findings if conducted in 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, etc…Long Beach, Calif., City Council, unhappy about layoffs and restructuring at the Press-Telegram, is considering pulling city advertising, including public notices, in efforts to affect a policy change at the daily.  Council members claim local news coverage has steadily declined since Denver-based Media News Group purchased the P-T from Knight Ridder 11 years ago…Hot off the press --- in the third month of 2008:  The 172-page 2008 Discover Ohio Travel Planner.  Looks like nothing much happens in January and February in the Buckeye State.