Ten Years Ago, Almost Everyone in Media Got Fired
Most survived. A few prospered. But those of us who went through it will never again feel truly safe at work.
Back in 2008, the financial crisis kicked off a bloodbath for the media industry. Now, with the axe falling yet again at once-thriving outlets, a trip down memory lane.
I blithely ignored the first sign of trouble — a rare early morning phone call from a colleague as I walked to the subway. Had I checked my bank account? she asked. It seems the direct deposits hadn’t shown up, and the rest of the staff was freaking out. The previous night had been a late one, and frankly, I didn’t feel so hot. “Oh, come on. It’s not even 10 a.m.,” I told her wearily. “You guys need to chill out. I’m sure it’s fine.”
By this point, I’d been reassuring people for so long — patiently explaining to various staffers that what appeared from certain angles to be a falling sky was actually just an optical illusion — that I had myself convinced, too. But a few minutes later, after discovering my monthly subway pass had expired, I found myself hesitating to replace it. Was this my last commute?
I stared at the vending machine. The line of straphangers behind me was getting testy. For two years, I’d put everything I had into this…
