One Man’s Scheme to Rule the World

The Chicago Tribune’s Charles M. Madigan has a scheme for any reporter who’s been bought out, phased out, laid off or fired.

“My thought is that it’s all the same stuff presented in a collection of different packages. Who better to create the same stuff than the people who have known how to create it forever, all of those veterans who are being asked to stop coming to work?

What this idea needs is some money (which I just don’t have because that’s not one of my skills) and some moxie and some coordination.

I would figure out a way, very soon, to create a consortium of high quality from the ranks of the journalism castaways.

There would be a very aggressive Web site. It would have to become an irritant and a competitive threat.

Then I would go back to the industry that invited me to leave and say, “Here is what you need. We don’t want to work for you. We work for us. We want to sell it to you.”

It makes a lot of sense, journalism by journalists for business folks who need it. You are all welcome to take this idea as your very own. I wish you immense amounts of good fortune.

If you have been outed, don’t get angry.

Get busy.”