Former Scripps Employee Has a Message for the CEO

Scripps CEO Adam Symson

A Scripps employee that was one of those that had their job eliminated, has written and email to Scripps CEO Adam Symson.

We thought we would share it.

Dear Mr. Symson,

You don’t know me, but I was one of your employees for several years.  Recently, I was informed that my position with Scripps was being eliminated and I would need to find new employment. You see, I am too young to retire and had I stayed to collect my severance, let me just say, it wasn’t worth the wait.

You say the company is “reorganizing”. Finding a new way to  bring viewers in, a new way to bring in money. I mean, let’s face it, the bottom line is all about the cash intake.

Yet, in all the markets your company has been bringing down the axe, not many Sales positions are being removed.  Matter of fact, looking at industry job links and what not, Scripps is posting middle management positions and yet, people are losing their jobs.

Mr. Symson, these aren’t “just people”.  These are human beings.  Human beings who have families. Human beings who have names, they are not just faces in your Corporate rolladeck. Human beings who packed up their lives, their families, their homes and moved across country because someone at one of your company’s stations sold them a pile of bs and then two weeks later said “see ya”, claiming the knew nothing about what was happening. Human beings in your stations who have worked hours covering major news stories, working to keep their community informed. They’ve worked 6/7 days in a row, twelve/thirteen or more hours at a time. Human beings who have lost their seniority, their tenure,  who now have to find something new. Why? Because you and your middle managers need to make more. This is just one example.

Since the axe started falling, other “big” stories have been covered across your markets, and yet, you sit in your corner office, probably with a nice view looking out over the Ohio River, contemplating where to throw the dart next while still collecting a salary that can fund a medium/large market newsroom.

You can say I’m wrong, but think about this.  During Covid, top management gave back their 15% raises from the year before. Fifteen percent raises for top management while the little guy at the bottom may have gotten a 1-2% merit raise.   In 2022, you yourself took in $15 million, a raise of $10 million from 2020.  $10 million, and yet the largest raise I myself EVER saw was 4%? Wow, thank you for that generosity. Bottom line, take care of those on top, the peons on the bottom can be replaced.

Again, you say I’m wrong.  Just recently, Reporters at your stations were given nice substantial raises (stay with me here), effective almost immediately. These raises happened across the board, YET, there are employees, who have been given walking papers, making peanuts that still have to do, and are doing, their job because they cannot quit until something better (even if it’s McDonald’s, it will be better than your company) comes along. Now you say, yes, but these Reporters are Multi Media Journalists and their responsibilities and job duties have increased.  Have they? Every single one of them? Wait, I thought this is only phase 1 or 2.  Yes, but all MMJs got a raise, in all markets, while at the same time, utilizing the very positions your company is eliminating.

Top it all off, the severance is only good if the employee stays until the end.  Again, thank you, but why would anyone stay (aside of the obvious)? Why would anyone do that to themselves? Work somewhere they KNOW they are not valued and are wanted? Yet, leave early, we thank you for your time, do not let the door hit you on the way out and thank you for allowing Scripps to keep some money.  We’re going to pass your salary along to those we really value, those we GREATLY value as one recruiter put it, and find worthy.

On that note, please, stop having your recruiters and others use words they do not understand:

“Come find out what it means when a company realizes the worth of Multimedia Journalists and is willing to commit to a number and strategy to highlight boots-on-the-ground-reporting.”

A direct quote from one of your recruiters..a company that realizes the “worth of Multimedia Journalists and is willing to commit…” commit to what? Running you to death everyday? Doing the job of 4 people? Putting your life at risk making you work alone? And yes, we realize the worth of an MMJ, just not the worth of the award winning, talented, Photojournalists, Producers, Editors, Directors we let go.

“Wait,” you say. “You can sound off to SVP Littleton. He will set aside 15 minutes of his time for you, during set hours of course.  He has a view to admire too.” Notice the time windows? They are during “crunch” time.  I mean, anyone in Cincinnati even think THAT out?

Scripps: “Show people the light and they will find their own way.”

Yes, they will, their way to being totally sucker punched, lied to, and led out the door.  For those, like me, who is reeling from that sucker punch and found the door, may the light that is leading us out lead us as far away from a company that, at one point I thought cared,  truly only cares about the view from their office.

Thank you for showing me the “light”!