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Tinseltown Asks: Are There No Workhouses?

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

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'Tis the season for turkey, stuffing, football and.... yes, pink slips.

Though the practice is not exclusive to Hollywood, Tinseltown is notorious for laying off people between Thanksgiving and New Year's. With the sweeps period coming to a close, shows go into reruns and production wraps until January. That leaves many people shuffling from store to store shopping for holiday employment instead of stocking stuffers.

This particular editor has been laid-off twice in the past 5 years--and both times the layoff has taken place during the week prior to Thanksgiving. We know that corporations are concerned with one thing: the bottom line. But during this time of the year, it's rough for anyone to face the greedy Ghost of Christmas Present: Unemployment.

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Unemployment affects everyone differently--for some it's a new start, for others it's a blow to the ego. But during the holidays its effect is universal: it means scrimping on presents, cutting vacations and crying at Hallmark commercials because you're emotionally threadbare.

So, LAist is sending a memo to all those execs who can make a difference: think twice before stuffing stockings with pink slips. It's bad karma, bad business and doesn't foster employee loyalty or morale. We realize that staying out of the red is paramount to companies, but there is also a human factor. We think there's a way to balance them both.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

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