Guild Says 50 Baltimore Sun Staffers Staging Byline Strike Over Tribune's Heavy-Handed Tactics

More than 50 Baltimore Sun newsroom staff members, including reporters, photographers and other bylined content producers, launched a byline strike today protesting layoffs and heavy handed tactics by owner Tribune Co., according to the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild.

Newsroom staff members informed their managers today that they would withhold their bylines to protest last week's surprise layoffs of roughly 60 newsroom employees. Tribune, last week, slashed the newsroom by about one third, reducing the staff to 148 employees, a fraction of what it was in 1999 when the Chicago-based company acquired The Sun, which then boasted a newsroom staff of about 420 employees.

Some employees last week were fired while they were in the midst of writing and editing stories. Others were told to pack up their belongings immediately, and others were escorted out of the main newspaper building by security guards.

"Tribune's tactics are deplorable," said Cet Parks, Executive Director of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild. "Employees who poured their hearts and souls into putting out a great newspaper every day were told to get out and stay out. No fanfare, no thank you, no outplacement help, just hit the streets. Maybe that's big business Tribune way, but it isn't right. Through its actions Tribune has demonstrated that it has little regard or respect for its employees."

"These decisions were made without any discussions on alternative costs saving methods," added Brent Jones, a Sun editor and Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild representative. "We wanted to do something to show our former co‑workers that we're upset with how they were treated last week. We produce this paper and expect our voices to be heard."

Gus Sentementes, a Sun reporter and Guild representative, said "The wisdom and experience that has left The Sun in this period is shocking. Out‑of‑town and out‑of‑touch ownership has extracted a heavy toll on the newspaper."

Sentementes criticized Tribune Chairman Sam Zell for miscalculating the accelerating decline in the newspaper industry, jeopardizing The Sun's future by racking up $13 billion in debt, driving the company into bankruptcy and "degrading our 172‑year‑old institution."

"As we saw so vividly last week, the way our colleagues were so callously treated is not the way one of Baltimore's top corporate citizens ‑‑ and a civic watchdog ‑‑ should treat its own employees," Sentementes said.

What It's Like to Get Laid Off at the Ballpark

David Steele, a former Baltimore Sun sports columnist, describes the feelings and emotions he and his colleagues went through as they were laid off while covering the Baltimore O's baseball came. His detailed account is in Real Clear Sports:

Soon, Peter Schmuck, our columnist/blogger, told me that he had just been told to write live for the next day. That’s crazy, I said, we can’t have two columns from this game. There must be a mistake. Or some other news is breaking and I need to switch. Or my editor forgot that I told him I’d be here. Or something. Oh, it was something all right, but again, the giant hint just whizzed right over my head. Schmuck figured it was a mistake, too, and dashed off an email to tell our editor that we were both here, so let’s try to clear this up.

Not long after that, around 2 p.m., one of the other writers pulled me aside: “Maese just sent a text saying he got laid off." It was a perfectly legible sentence, but it made no sense to anyone there. It’s the middle of the game, they just had layoffs yesterday, he’s a prominent columnist … huh? It wasn’t anything to joke about, but it didn’t sound true at all. But he had, for the moment, disappeared from his seat.

I went back to my seat and saw that there was a message on my cell from the office. I hadn’t turned the ringer back up after the manager’s pre-game press conference, so I hadn’t heard it. The message: call back as soon as you get this. Good, I thought, we’ll straighten out this business of who is writing for the next day. Which, technically, is what happened. Still, apparently, I was either completely clueless or in total denial, I’m still not sure which.

It didn’t matter. I called back and got the voice mail. At 2:34 p.m. (that time-stamp is kind of stuck in my head for the time being), the office called back. I went into a hallway behind the press box and answered it with something like, “Hey, what’s up?’’ Or “What’s going on?’’ Along those lines.

My editor greeted me, paused, took a deep breath. “David, I’m sorry you have to be told this way …"

Life Goes On After a Layoff for McIntyre

John McIntyre has started his You Don't Say blog 2.0. He was in charge of The Baltimore Sun copy desk until being laid off this past week. It's a continuation of his blog that was posted on The Sun's website.

Baltimore Sun Announces Its Reorganization Plan

Here is The Baltimore Sun's memo on it's reorganization plan as obtained by Jim Romenesko today:

Today, we are announcing the following positions. The topic managers will report directly to Corey and Baise. These changes take effect Monday, May 4.

Director, content editing and enterprise: Marcia Myers
Marcia will oversee development of stories for print and online across all departments, with a particular focus on Page One candidates and with direct responsibility for investigative and enterprise projects.

Head of Maryland news: David Nitkin and Dave Alexander
Politics & Government Editor, Jean Marbella
Crime & Courts Editor, Michelle Landrum
Education Editor, Jen Badie
Director of Breaking News, Ben Pillow
GA Editor, Liz Atwood
Content editor/chief makeup editor, Linda Schubert

David and Dave will focus their efforts jointly what we consider the core of what we provide to our readers: coverage of the city and its surrounding counties across multiple platforms. David Nitkin brings a wealth of experience as an editor and reporter. He's a rock-solid journalist whose instinct for news is unparalleled. Nitkin has been a reporter in Baltimore County, the state house bureau chief, Maryland editor, and spent time covering the White House. He oversaw coverage of the 2006 and 2008 elections. Dave Alexander's success as online deputy editor and his unique and keen understanding of our diverse audiences -- he has print experience at newspapers in Virginia and North Carolina -- provide the perfect complement and the leadership we need. Dave's career at baltimoresun.com progressed from sports producer to news producer to senior news producer before becoming online deputy editor.

Head of money & spending: Tim Wheatley
Content editors, Justine Maki, Liz Hacken

While much of Tim's career has been spent in sports, he was also AME/Business at the Indianapolis Star and responsible for coverage of the Conseco bankruptcy, Eli Lilly and the downsizing of the auto industry. He brings a broad approach to story development and knows how to surround an issue, providing readers with greater context. In his time here he has led our Sports staff to one of its most successful years in 2008 with multiple writing and section awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors, and we expect him to continue that success in leading our business staff.

Head of sports: Trif Alatzas
Executive Sports Editor, Ron Fritz
Deputy Sports Editor, Pete Sweigard
Assistant Sports Editors, Kevin Eck, Steve Gould, Matt Bracken
Content Editor, night: Andy Knobel

As business editor for the past nine months, Trif has been known for his great sense for news and for knowing how to develop sources that deepen our readers' knowledge and understanding of stories. Bringing that type of experience and drive will enhance our Sports coverage, particularly with a greater emphasis for breaking news online. He has been an outstanding editor, helping guide coverage of the Constellation Energy Group and quickly mobilized the staff around coverage of the economic meltdown last fall and Wall Street's collapse. The proposed sale of Constellation won a breaking-news award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. He will be excellent at leveraging our highly popular Sports content online.

Head of opinion: Andy Green
Deputy Opinion Editor, Michael Cross-Barnet

Andy brings a wealth of politics, state house and government coverage experience, with broad understanding of the issues affecting the lives of Marylanders. He also understands the heightened role that readers and online audiences are increasingly playing in helping to shape public opinion; that it's just as much about "what we say" as it is helping focus discussion and debate around what our readers and online audience are intensely interested in.

Head of lifestyle & entertainment: Dave Rosenthal
Arts & Entertainment Editor, Tim Swift
Content editor, food: Sarah Kelber
Content editor, nightlife/bands: Sam Sessa
Content editors, lifestyle: Kate Shatzkin, Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Matt Brown, Kim Walker
Events coordinator, Rebecca Hyler

Dave will guide our lifestyle and entertainment topics. In lifestyle, these topics reflect how we live and events and issues that directly impact our readers' lives. These topic areas include parenting/family, health & wellness, green living, science, faith, home, commuting, recreation and travel. In entertainment, we will focus locally on food and dining, the arts scene, nightlife, bands, celebrities, television and movies. Dave has guided The Sun's weekend and Sunday edition coverage where many of the important projects and investigations of the past few years have been showcased. His insight into readership habits and his creative approach to story ideas will be invaluable for increasing our online audience in these areas.


Head of visuals: Jay Judge
Director of Multimedia, Steve Sullivan
Director of Photography, Bob Hamilton
Director of Interactive Design, Lauren Custer
Multimedia/interactive art director, Kevin Richardson

Jay will guide the visuals presentation for our print and online platforms, bringing solid versatility and a knowledge of the importance visuals play in helping tell stories in myriad ways. You've known Jay as a highly creative colleague, an acute problem-solver and an editor who applies great journalistic skill to visual presentation.

Head of night content & production: Chris Rickett
News Editor, Steve Young
Design Director, Anthony Conroy
Assistant News Editor/Pagination, Derrick Barker
Copy Desk Chief, Phil Klinedinst

Director of audience engagement: Mary Hartney
Community coordinator, Maryland news, Julie Scharper
Community coordinator, money & spending, Phill McGowan
Community coordinator, sports, Dean Jones Jr.
Community coordinator, opinion, Nancy Johnston
Community coordinator, lifestyle, Maryann James
Community coordinator, entertainment, Carla Correa

The community coordinators are responsible for cultivating one or more dynamic communities of interest in their topic areas on the Web using blogging, social media and other community outreach tools. Community coordinators are responsible for generating loyalty, frequency and advocacy among users so that they help our audiences grow. They will report directly to Mary.

Newsroom technology manager: Jeff Bill
Jeff, as he has done so ably for the photography staff as deputy director of photography, will expand his role into providing technical assistance, system performance, and inventory for the newsroom's computer and cellular telephone equipment.

Please congratulate our colleagues on their new roles.

Again, these roles become effective on Monday, May 4. During the transition of the next few weeks it is important that we remain flexible. Everyone will be getting used to the new roles, new relationships with supervisors, a new way of thinking about newsgathering and audience engagement, and new process requirements.

The topic managers will hold introductory meetings with reporters and columnists beginning tomorrow to talk about beats, coverage and our focus on providing journalism, news and information across multiple platforms.

Monty, Mary and Matthew

Tribune's Botched Job in Handling The Baltimore Sun Layoffs

The Tribune Co., owners of The Baltimore Sun, gave everyone a primer yesterday in how not to handle a layoff by limiting information and treating its staffers in an unprofessional manner.

Information about the layoff came out through a slow drip, and no official announcement. Even this morning, a day after the deed was done, there is no press release detailing the cutbacks on the corporate website. This not only causes confusion both inside the newsroom and out, but it fertilizes the rumor weeds that spread.

The only corporate comment has come from Renee Mutchnik, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore Sun Media Group, who said: "We're going to become a 24-hour, local news-gathering media company so we can more effectively gather content and distribute it among our different platforms -- print, online and mobile.

"As everyone knows, more and more readers are moving online, and advertisers are following them.

"This is our plan for success, not just survival."

But there are no details on that plan. Are they going to shut down the print product? If not, how do they expect to produce a quality print product with so few people? Will you continue to be a news organization, or will you shift to an information service? Are there plans to beef up the website? There are also rumors of Tribune shifting personnel to Chicago, any truth to that?

By the way, there was no definitive answer to the number of people laid off. At various times throughout the day media reports had it at 15, then 58, later 60, and finally 61. This is roughly 29 percent of the 205 editorial staff. Some were notified on Tuesday, others Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild memo states that in addition to the editorial layoffs, The Sun has laid off seven employees in other departments including advertising and customer service.

For the record then, 61 people from editorial and seven from the business unit have been dismissed, as best as anyone can tell.

"It's stunning, just the breadth of them across the board," The Sun quoted Angie Kuhl, the paper's unit chairwoman for the Guild, which represents 148 newsroom workers, including 40 who were laid off Wednesday. "They are clearly trying to move to be an information producer, not a newspaper publisher. It is a flattening of the newsroom," Kuhl told Editor & Publisher's Joe Strupp.

The notifications to staffers were a joke. Some got word on Tuesday, others on Wednesday. Four journalists covering the O's-Angels baseball game were notified by phone, as documented by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

(Tough times in the newspaper biz. Two writers for the Baltimore Sun in the press box here got the news — by phone during the game — that they had been laid off in the latest round of cost-cutting. Stay classy, Baltimore Sun management.)

(UPDATE: Make that three reporters and a photographer axed by the Sun during the game.)

It wouldn't be so bad if the O's were away, but they were playing in downtown Baltimore. Notifying the employees before going to the ballpark wouldn't have been too much to ask, would it? I certainly hope they did not file a story.

David Ettlin, writing on his blog "The Real Muck," gives a graphic minute-by-minute account of the Tuesday-Wednesday Massacre, including this tidbit of one staffer getting the news. Go to his piece, it's a great read:

Ellie Baublitz, who put in 22 years and four months as a Sun editorial assistant after a few years as a community news freelancer, wore a spritely yellow outfit to work Wednesday, to “cheer people up” -- but having heard from a newsroom confidant of the Tuesday Night Massacre, she came prepared.

“I stuffed two shopping bags into my briefcase, just in case I needed them.”

About 2 p.m., as the newsroom awaited an expected announcement, Ellie and fellow editorial assistant Fay Lande were summoned by a top editor into a glass-windowed conference room overlooking the newsroom and told of their layoffs.

Ellie came out in tears and, by one reporter’s account, “That really broke the newsroom up, when Ellie broke up.”

In a telephone chat Wednesday night, Ellie acknowledged the account as “pretty accurate,” and recounted how colleagues cheered and applauded staffers leaving the building after getting the same fate.

“It was pretty ugly down there,” Ellie said. “They probably did me a favor. The last couple of years have been really bad.”

There are so many better ways to handle such an awful situation. I know from my own experience that managers take no joy or glee going through this process. But there are steps they can take to make sure people are treated with respect, and that information is properly and clearly communicated. (Communication at a newspaper, who would have thought of that?)

1. Notify those affected in person on the same day. Notify them in private, not in glass window offices so everyone can watch (as described by Ettlin above). Give them the dignity of saying good-bye to their co-workers if they so choose.

2. Gather the remaining staff so the chief executive officer can tell them face-to-face. Thank the leaving staff publicly for their fine service; emphasis that this was a business decision and does not reflect their integrity or hard work. Describe the vision for the organization's future and what the company's goals are as it moves forward. Invite questions and answer them honestly.

3. Issue a press release detailing how many people were laid off, what departments they came from, and how many are left. Thank the departing employees, and include language about the future of the organization. This eliminates the rumors and water-cooler chatter.

UPDATE: Baltimore Sun Layoff Totals 60 Journalists

UPDATE, 4:23 p.m. Eastern, April 29, 2009: The Associated Press is reporting this afternoon that The Baltimore Sun has laid off nearly 60 people in its newsroom, including veteran editors and managers, columnists, photographers and designers. Earlier reports had the figure as low as 15 people being let go.

A spokeswoman for the newspaper says managerial-level employees were laid off at the end of the day Tuesday, and union-represented employees were informed Wednesday afternoon.

The Sun did not disclose how many people lost their jobs, but the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild says 37 people were let go Wednesday. Staffers who were laid off Tuesday say about 21 managers were let go.

Maryland's largest newspaper is owned by Tribune Co., which is operating under bankruptcy protection.

Joe Strupp of Editor & Publisher writes was the first to report the eventual size of the layoff this morning:

The mass exodus of editors at The Baltimore Sun is expected to approach 20, according to Newspaper Guild leaders at the paper, who said the layoffs are part of a shift away from traditional newspapering and toward multi-platform content.

They also fear that more cuts, to guild members, are looming with as many as 20 rank-and-file jobs expected to go.

"They are clearly trying to move to be an information producer, not a newspaper publisher," said Angie Kuhl, Guild unit chair at the Sun. "It is a flattening of the newsroom."

Her comments followed Editor Monty Cook's meeting with newsroom staffers late Tuesday, in which he announced at least 15 of the editor-level layoffs, which included both top editorial page editors.

Kuhl said the editor departures are expected to grow to 20 before the end of the day, but do not include Cook. "This is really a devastating hit," she said. "These are experienced journalists with a wealth of knowledge."

A source told DCRTV.com:

"Fifteen mid- and top-level editors just laid off at the Sun... The casualities include: Deputy Managing Editor Paul Moore, Editorial Page Editor Ann LoLordo, Op-Ed Editor Larry Williams, Med/Sci Editor Patricia Fanning, Sports editors Ray Frager and George VanDaniker, Copy Desk Chief John McIntyre, Systems Editor Steve Auerweck, three bureau chiefs (leaving none), Regional Editor Jay Apperson, and Photo Assigning Editor Chuck Weiss. All editors were told to leave the building immediately. A security guard was stationed on the skywalk between the building and the employee parking garage. Rumor has it the Guild employees will get layoff notices this week."

Another source told the website:

"I just read through your brief about the 15 layoffs at the Sun and noticed you have no names for the three bureau chiefs. Their names are Joe DeCarlo, Dan Clemens, and Bill Caulfield. Also receiving a layoff was Eileen Canzian, who was one of our Metro editors and one of the brightest journalists in the room. Their experience, expertise and institutional knowledge - not to mention a genuine love for the city of Baltimore and the surrounding area - will be sorely missed."

One editor laid off is John McIntyre, whose own blog You Don't Say is a favorite of mine. He writes about his departure on the blog.

Yesterday, the grim economics of the newspaper business made April 28 my last day at the paper. It was, as they say in theatrical circles, a good run. I had more than two decades of the company of some of the smartest and funniest people I have ever known, working for supportive editors of the paper, and in all that time we struggled day after day to make The Sun a formidable newspaper. We succeeded more often than we failed, and no man has been more fortunate in his colleagues than I have.

But when the curtain falls, you are supposed to get off the stage, and this is my final post at baltimoresun.com. I expect to continue blogging elsewhere, but you will no longer find me at my post here. In addition to colleagues who have been great fun, I have had the good fortune to collect a remarkable corps of loyal readers, and I salute you all with gratitude and affection. You have enriched my life.

Now 60 Journalists Laid Off at Baltimore Sun

UPDATE, 4:23 p.m. Eastern, April 29, 2009: The Baltimore Sun has laid off 60 journalists.

Joe Strupp of Editor & Publisher writes that early today that the first reported number of 15 layoffs might not hold up., and that the number would increase before the day is out.

The mass exodus of editors at The Baltimore Sun is expected to approach 20, according to Newspaper Guild leaders at the paper, who said the layoffs are part of a shift away from traditional newspapering and toward multi-platform content.

They also fear that more cuts, to guild members, are looming with as many as 20 rank-and-file jobs expected to go.

"They are clearly trying to move to be an information producer, not a newspaper publisher," said Angie Kuhl, Guild unit chair at the Sun. "It is a flattening of the newsroom."

Her comments followed Editor Monty Cook's meeting with newsroom staffers late Tuesday, in which he announced at least 15 of the editor-level layoffs, which included both top editorial page editors.

Kuhl said the editor departures are expected to grow to 20 before the end of the day, but do not include Cook. "This is really a devastating hit," she said. "These are experienced journalists with a wealth of knowledge."

A source told DCRTV.com:

"Fifteen mid- and top-level editors just laid off at the Sun... The casualities include: Deputy Managing Editor Paul Moore, Editorial Page Editor Ann LoLordo, Op-Ed Editor Larry Williams, Med/Sci Editor Patricia Fanning, Sports editors Ray Frager and George VanDaniker, Copy Desk Chief John McIntyre, Systems Editor Steve Auerweck, three bureau chiefs (leaving none), Regional Editor Jay Apperson, and Photo Assigning Editor Chuck Weiss. All editors were told to leave the building immediately. A security guard was stationed on the skywalk between the building and the employee parking garage. Rumor has it the Guild employees will get layoff notices this week."

Another source told the website:

"I just read through your brief about the 15 layoffs at the Sun and noticed you have no names for the three bureau chiefs. Their names are Joe DeCarlo, Dan Clemens, and Bill Caulfield. Also receiving a layoff was Eileen Canzian, who was one of our Metro editors and one of the brightest journalists in the room. Their experience, expertise and institutional knowledge - not to mention a genuine love for the city of Baltimore and the surrounding area - will be sorely missed."

One editor laid off is John McIntyre, whose own blog You Don't Say is a favorite of mine. He writes about his departure on the blog.

Yesterday, the grim economics of the newspaper business made April 28 my last day at the paper. It was, as they say in theatrical circles, a good run. I had more than two decades of the company of some of the smartest and funniest people I have ever known, working for supportive editors of the paper, and in all that time we struggled day after day to make The Sun a formidable newspaper. We succeeded more often than we failed, and no man has been more fortunate in his colleagues than I have.

But when the curtain falls, you are supposed to get off the stage, and this is my final post at baltimoresun.com. I expect to continue blogging elsewhere, but you will no longer find me at my post here. In addition to colleagues who have been great fun, I have had the good fortune to collect a remarkable corps of loyal readers, and I salute you all with gratitude and affection. You have enriched my life.