With the buyouts this week of three veteran reporters and the subsequent hiring of a high-profile reporter from Washington D.C., The Star has put on full display — once again — its regrettable and product-diminishing double standard on salary control.
I came back from a weekend trip to my hometown of Louisville to learn that three veteran reporters — Diane Stafford, Scott Canon and Donna McGuire — had been “offered” buyouts. Naturally, they took them, or they would have been laid off.
Horsley
A couple of days later, The Star announced the hiring of Washington Post reporter Bill Turque as the new City Hall reporter, replacing Lynn Horsley, who will stay with the paper and move to the Johnson County government beat.
The compelling reason behind Turque’s hiring is unfortunate: Less than a year ago, The Star hired Turque’s wife, Melinda Henneberger, to be a member of the revamped editorial board. Like him, she had been working in Washington, although not at The Post.
So, plain and simple, this was a package deal, probably arranged with a handshake or informal agreement when Henneberger was hired.
Turque
Several former Star journalists, including me, believe this trade-off — hiring Henneberger and Turque, while giving Stafford, Canon and McGuire their walking papers — is a net loss for Kansas City Star readers. According to a KCUR story, the three departing reporters had a combined total of 99 years experience at The Star. That’s a lot of talent and institutional knowledge walking out the door. It’s disappointing and distressing for many of us who plied our trade at 18th and Grand.
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Before delving more deeply into packaged husband-wife hires — this is not the first — I want to give you a little history on salary suppression at The Star.
It got underway in about 2004, when top editors decided to reorganize the newsroom. I was right in the middle of it. At that point, I had been editor in the Wyandotte-Leavenworth bureau for nine years. In the reorganization, I was offered the job of Kansas editor, overseeing both the Johnson County and Wyandotte County bureaus. I would go from overseeing two full-time reporters and one part-time reporter to managing about a dozen reporters and two other editors.
When then-Assistant Managing Editor Randy Smith — a good friend to this day — offered me the job, I asked how much of a a raise I would be getting. He said none, adding that I should derive my satisfaction from the prestige of a higher perch in the managerial chain. I said that was nice but that I thought a raise was in order.
He said he would take up the matter with then-Editor Mark Zieman. A few days later, Randy came back and said he could give me a raise of one percent. My response was: “I see what’s going on here — salary suppression.”
Randy did not respond.
Despite the ridiculous raise, I took the job because it had been made clear to me I wasn’t going to stay in Wyandotte. My only alternative would have been to resign or retire, and I wasn’t ready and didn’t have a plan. Two years later, however — after another job change — I formulated a plan to become a teacher and retired.
I can’t say that when I left in 2006 I saw the bottom dropping out of the newspaper business, but, as I’ve told many people, I was feeling uneasy after The Star’s then-owner Knight Ridder agreed to sell out to McClatchy early that year. That unease was confirmed in 2008, when The Star began laying off veteran, higher-salaried journalists. The laying off and buying out hasn’t stopped, and I almost certainly would have been discarded somewhere along the way had I not left voluntarily.
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After taking charge of the paper in early 2016, publisher Tony Berg began hiring young journalists at entry-level salaries to replace the higher-paid, experienced people who had been let go, and continue to be let go.
The Star has made some exceptions to the hire-young, hire-low regimen, however, namely in the hiring of perceived “stars” who they believe will bring great value to the paper.
Since 2013, The Star has hired three such people. First, came sports columnist Vahe Gregorian. Late last year it was Colleen McCain Nelson to be editorial page editor, and early this year it was Henneberger — although her star billing was certainly not as high as that of the other two.
But that’s not all…In each of those cases, Berg agreed to hire the spouses of the perceived stars. So, with Vahe Gregorian came Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian, a features writer. With McCain Nelson came Eric Nelson, who is in charge of The Star’s digital operation. And now Turque is packing his bags and joining Henneberger in Kansas City.
The first two package deals achieved the desired result: Vahe Gregorian has lived up to expectations as a standout sports columnist, and McCain Nelson has not only revived the editorial and Op-Ed pages but has proved to be a genial and genuine personality and an accessible leader.
Henneberger, on the other hand, appears to be struggling to develop a following. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone ask me, “Did you read Henneberger today?” Maybe it will happen, but the signs aren’t promising.
And now The Star is giving headline treatment to the hiring of Turque, who very early in his career worked at The Star for several years.
Until this week, I had never seen a story in the paper announcing the hiring of a “beat” reporter. Even more startling was the size and prominent display of the story, as if the incoming reporter was the reincarnation of war reporter Ernie Pyle. And yet, there it was, both in print and online.
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Well, I wish Turque the best, but I seriously doubt he’s going to be as productive or as informative as Lynn Horsley has been during her many years at City Hall. Also, since Turque is part of a package deal, I doubt he’ll be held to the same standards of production as Horsley and the other non-coupled reporters. Nevertheless, he will probably start out at a higher salary than Horsley has been making. If that’s the case — and I would bet all the money I’ve ever lost at the racetrack — it isn’t right.
On the positive side, one thing I know for sure is that in her persevering, shoe-leather-burning style, Horsley will raise the profile of Johnson County government. The Star has virtually ignored JoCo government in recent years, and that is about to change.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Jim:
Taking Lynn Horsley away from City Hall, where she has worked her tail off for The Star for years, leaves a tragic void. She is a heroine and a real trouper for staying on and covering Johnson County politics. As you indicated, it will be covered by a pro who has no peer.
I don’t know about a void, Laura, because Turque should be very good. But as he admitted, he’s “stepping into big shoes.”
…Also, I don’t think we should engage in excessive hand wringing at Lynn leaving City Hall. The Star’s story said she had been on that beat nearly 20 years. That is an exceptionally long time, as you know, for a reporter to stay on one beat at one paper. I was at City Hall for 10 years — from ’85 to ’95 — and that was longer than most other City Hall reporters. Lynn was fantastic as the KC School District reporter before going to City Hall, and I am looking forward to seeing a stronger light focused on Johnson County government.
Hi, Jim– Thanks for keeping us up-to-date on the weird goings-on at The Star. You were right on target awhile back when you wrote that Steve Vockrodt would be an important addition to the staff.
What’s ironic about the overall decline in the paper is that the editorials are now the best I’ve seen since moving here in 1956 — straightforward, vigorous, and unequivocal.
Honestly… Don needs to dial back the adulation for Nelson just a wee bit on her editorial skills, don’t ya think? The fact that he sold out long ago to the corporate/foundation/KCUR/Arts/ money crowd might not quite make him a voice of clear reasoning and an uninterested bystander on the matters of opinion. But to be fair, most of the former “lifer” journalists at the former Star followed the same pipeline…used car salesmen and journalists…when they say it’s not about the money, it’s always about the money.
What???
Anybody who takes a buyout at The Star is not selling out to the “corporate/foundation/KCUR/Arts money crowd.”
Those buyouts typically come with six months of pay and an option to buy into a way-overpriced health-insurance extension plan.
Now, the buyout Don took — the first under CapCities ownership — was somewhat better than that, as was at least one that preceded the layoff/buyout cascade that started in 2008.
Another thing: Nobody retires to start drawing The Star/McClatchy pension. I worked there 36 years, and my pension is $891.23 per month. It’s hard to buy an 80-HP fishing boat on that kind of pension, much less a yacht.
Okay, answering your “what?… because you missed the point…Hoffmann declaring that C. Nelson’s editorials are the best in 51 years is just plain idiocy and reeks of the worst type of hyperbole and ass kissing… So why, then, is this hack going so over the top? Because he is pandering to the safe job space for ex Star staffers, the UMKC/KCUR/KC Foundation/Arts/Charter School/TIFF special interest crowd…you know, The 5 Big Idea people/ KCC people that are now have C. Nelson in their pocket.
I agree with Don on the editorials, lively and interesting, but ironic like he said…Colleen McCain Nelson is doing a good job.
Turque worked before at the Star, during the Zeeck/Waller era.
I enjoyed reading this farewell column by Diane Stafford:
http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/workplace/article168847712.html
I wish The Star would add some reporters to the education beat. So much going on in so many districts and too few bodies to cover them. I’m biased, but I always have thought it was a great beat — public officials overseeing both gobs of taxpayer funds AND people’s kids.
I completely agree, Kate. The Shawnee Mission School District, especially, has been a veritable cauldron, and The Star has been virtually AWOL.
Got that right.
Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian apparently is responsible for House & Home on Sunday, which for some reason is being kept alive even while daily FYI has vanished. In the Star’s current malnourished state, House & Home is unhealthily thin, but it seems Cynthia doesn’t generate much copy even for that modest news hole. Some weeks she doesn’t even have a byline.
Who knew Zieman was so generous?
Get off my lawn!! In fact Cindi Gregorian is going back to reporting and The Star has revamped its education coverage. Katy Bergen is all over joco ed if you haven’t been reading. Other changes in the works. Not all bad. As some of you retirees and former journalists will recall, it pays to ask some questions before approaching the keyboard and spouting opinions.
Well, Bonkers, you gave us some news there — Cindi Gregorian going back to reporting. From Mike’s comment (the second above yours), as well as from what I’ve read, I guess she won’t be leaving much of a hole in House & Home. That riveting section will muddle along without her, I suppose.
As for Katy Bergen, I have high hopes for her, but she’s hardly “all over” JoCo education. There were golden opportunities for takeouts on Jim Hinson’s surprise resignation as SMSD superintendent and on the school board’s attempt to muzzle parents’ criticism of individual school board members, but Katy — and her editors — didn’t capitalize. Maybe she’ll come around with experience.
“Ask some questions?” YOU BET! That’s what I want the reporters down there to do…
Jim,
Scott, Donna and I chose buyouts rather than redesigned beats. Our alternatives were not layoffs. A layoff round occurred the week before, with no options offered to those people. Just clarifying your post. Change is constant and, sometimes, not bad. I’m happy.
Congratulations on a great career, Diane. The three of you were stellar performers for so long.
A consistency in your scrutiny of new hires irks me.
Here it is: When you criticize men, your comments are direct and usually isolated to the story at hand.
Vockrodt “knew better.” Woodall “failed” to do this.
For me, they’ve taken a different tone. Maybe, she hasn’t covered Shawnee Mission well because high-caliber reporting is “beyond her capabilities.” Maybe, she’ll “come around with experience.”
I’m in no way defending my coverage of JoCo schools during my time as a breaking news reporter.
But as a 28-year-old woman who started their career covering education, I can’t help but wonder what my male colleagues must have on me to get their stories NOT their capabilities called into question.
In other news: I officially joined Mara Williams on the education team last week, and I’m very excited about it.
Expectations may be low. But boy, it feels good to know there is hope for me.
Playing the gender card here might make you feel better, Katy, but it isn’t pertinent.
Moreover, suggesting that I took a broad-brush swipe at you while leveling pointed criticism about Vockrodt and Cummings on specific stories is off the mark.
Just as in the instances you cite regarding Steve Vockrodt and Ian Cummings, my June 1 post that was critical of you — without naming you, I would add — was about a specific situation: The Star’s failure to delve into the reasons behind Jim Hinson’s resignation as SMSD superintendent.
Here’s what I said:
“Unfortunately, the public may never get the back story of Hinson’s resignation. There are two reasons for that. First, The Star, with its depleted local staff, has a young, inexperienced reporter covering the Shawnee Mission School District, and the story could be beyond the reporter’s capabilities at this point.”
I did not say, “High-caliber reporting is beyond her capabilities.”
Now, fast forward to my comment above, in the comments section of this post. Yes, indeed, I said, “Maybe she’ll come around with experience.”
That is a general comment, but it is an extension of what I implied in the June 1 post about the Hinson situation — that you might not have sufficient experience, at this point, to get to the bottom of a story as sticky and delicate as that appeared to be.
…And one more thing: Don’t get mad. Mr. “Bonkers” (my dig) accused me of “spouting opinions.” My opinions are backed up with 37 years experience in the news business, as a reporter and assigning editor. I didn’t win a Pulitzer, at least on my own, but I know reporting and editing.