A business, yes, employees say, but family, too

Surprise and regret mixed for many current and former Landmark Communications Inc. employees after they learned that the company's media assets may be sold. They were especially emotional about the flagship, The Virginian-Pilot.

Former military reporter Jack Dorsey, who retired last year after 44 years at the paper, said he never imagined the Batten family would consider selling The Pilot, which has a history that dates to 1865.

"I thought Frank Batten Jr.'s sons would be running the business someday," said Dorsey, who began his career as a copy boy delivering newspapers to Frank Batten Sr.'s office.

"The Batten family is synonymous with the daily newspaper in Norfolk. This truly signals an end to what I always thought was a family product.... Working there felt like I was part of a family."

Switchboard operator Mary Simons came to The Pilot two years ago after working for a large corporation.

She said she found a warmer workplace at the newspaper. Simons keeps a drawer of treats for her department and has organized prayer luncheons for staffers. Working at the paper, she said, encouraged her to write for several small Christian magazines.

"I hope we come together as a family," Simons said, "and use the changes to get closer."

That spirit, she believes, will see the staff through.

"We have to hope that whoever buys us has the same love and affection that Frank Batten has had for us," she said. "I hope they don't see it all as business."

Reporter Michelle Washington and her husband, Jim, also a reporter, worked for two other family-owned newspapers before The Pilot.

"I think working for a family-owned newspaper brings a degree of pride and local concern to the community that big corporations don't always have," she said.

"It's their mother ship, their hometown and their commitment to the community," said Jeff Maisey, editor of Landmark's Lifestyles Magazine and music critic for The Pilot. "To allow someone from outside to purchase the hometown newspaper is just discouraging."

Like Maisey, many Landmark employees were upset to learn of the possible sale from stories in The Pilot, television and radio Wednesday night and Thursday morning. "I about choked on my Cheerios," he said.

Bruce Bradley, president and publisher of The Pilot, apologized to the staff, saying in a memo that it was "a shabby way" to learn such important news. He said The New York Times broke the story online Wednesday night, which prompted Landmark to discuss the decision more quickly than planned.

After the initial surprise, some employees were optimistic.

"There might be some changes for the better," said Linda Williams, an inserter operator at The Pilot's Greenwich Road production plant who has worked at the company for 19 years.

"A lot of people are worried about their jobs, but there are other jobs out there."

Across the production floor where workers loaded bundled advertisements onto a pallet, Iris Walker said companies get sold all the time.

"Cutbacks, layoffs, all around the country," said the 52-year-old. "Nobody makes it to retirement in America now."

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com

Roberta T. Vowell, (757) 446-2327, roberta.vowell@pilotonline.com