The Washington Post’s “outsourcing” photo work on at least one top in-hometown story recently (see Part I) was the canary in the coal mine - showing that even deep-pocketed dailies like one owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos now want to use stringers on assignment wherever possible, rather than hire employees with all the non-wage costs that are high and now soaring: unemployment insurance, workers comp, Obamacare, paperwork, equipment, etc.
   But nothing shows this trend more than the decision by dailies owned by the man who symbolizes “rich” - Warren Buffett - to do the same thing.  Very recently, Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has bought up a slew of mid-size dailies - in the South and possibly beyond.  And very recently, at least one of them has downsized a bunch of reporters and a photojournalist, a substantial percentage of newsroom people - making the same decision, even as that daily did quite well at getting back its longtime good display ads and added back content - backed, of course, by being much better capitalized by Buffett than its longtime owner.  That paper had a small - but substantial - photo department.
   Among others downsized at that paper: its longtime director of photography. His being downsized was a significant percentage of the longtime photo department there.  Discussion with him found that the paper is going to “outsource” out much local photo work to stringers in the future - while, up until now, almost all at the paper was shot by staff shooters.  
   Again, bottom line is that nobody now wants to hire employees - with all the non-wage costs of a full-time, middle-class employee - not even someone as rich as Warren Buffett.  Other than bailed-out industries, nobody wants to be a chump for the government.