David Ettlin’s “The Real Muck” piece, “The Sun Massacre”

David Ettlin’s “The Real Muck” piece, “The Sun Massacre” … is well written about a very sad subject. It may be found here: http://tinyurl.com/cnoy83

If you are journalist or care about the value of newspapers to the social fabric of our community – read it in private as it could move you to tears.

It is just heartbreaking to read so many names of folks with whom we have worked with for years.

Our prayers go out for the talent that has left the building, for their families and ultimately, our greater community.

A colleague wrote on my Facebook wall: “A Sun friend says nobody is left at the row of desks where he sits... they're all gone.”

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“The Real Muck” - Baltimore Sun Massacre by David Ettlin Wednesday, April 29, 2009 (See my media disclosure here. I work for Tribune.)

Quarter of newsroom staff fired in a bloodbath by bankrupt Tribune Co.

Tears, cheers for departees on a dark day at The Sun

Tribune Company reapers whacked their way through the Baltimore Sun newsroom Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon in a bloodbath of layoffs that decimated the staff – editors, columnists, photographers, copy editors, page designers and support personnel.

Except in the sports department, the reporting staff seemed to remain mostly intact – but with some alterations in duties as the company reorients the newspaper toward an online and local news focus.

As much as I expected (and in my last blog posting foreshadowed) new layoffs at The Sun, my former home of 40 years, the extent of the slaughter was unimaginable: At least 15 editors, and 40 other staffers. The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild issued a statement saying Tribune was cutting 27 percent of the already reduced newspaper staff. Online accounts put the total number of layoffs as high as 61.

[…]

Accounts that these key editors – some, like … having dedicated more than a quarter-century of their lives to the newspaper – were given 15 minutes to get out of the building and watched over by a beefed-up contingent of security guards could not be confirmed.

[…]

Shopping bags and tears

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.”

For Ellie, that included the death of one of her three children and transfer by the newspaper from one suburban office to another, in shutdown after shutdown, until she was commuting from her home in rural Carroll County into the city each day.

She had an interesting spin on the timing of the layoffs. “Friday [May 1] starts the new vacation year, so they had to get rid of us before then. I know how the jackals work.”

After Ellie and Fay got the word, one reporter said, “it was like the Angel of Death walking around the newsroom.”

[…]

If you want a description of what it's like to be a survivor, you can use this unattributed quote: "It's a little like being the turkey who survives Thanksgiving but knows Christmas is a month away."

{…}

Read the entire article by David Ettlin here: Baltimore Sun Massacre

See my media disclosure here. I work for Tribune. And here for additional disclosures

According to “various tribune employee reports and blogs,” the following employees have lost their jobs…

If you read this list and you see an error – or where an addition or a correction is warranted – e-mail me right away at kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com with the word - Sun Massacre – in the subject line.

If you are on this list and you wish to have your name removed for any reason – no questions asked – e-mail me at kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com with the word - Sun Massacre – in the subject line.

However, think about, your name is already “out there”… I did a lot of thinking before I posted this and the bottom line is “we” in the journalism community can not help find jobs for “our” colleagues if we do not know you may looking for a job.

If you are like me - - I can no more stop writing than I can stop breathing…

Two quotes come to mind:

“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams

“Without writing I have no doubt I would turn into a basketcase.” Roy Meachum August 8, 2008 “Greasepaint Missing.”

Editors:
Paul Moore, Deputy Managing Editor
Ann LoLordo, Opinion Editor
Larry Williams, Deputy Opinion Editor
Patricia Fanning, Education Editor
John McIntyre, Copy Desk Chief
Ray Frager, sports editor
George VanDaniker, sports editor
Eileen Canzian, metro editor
Steve Auerweck, Systems Editor
Jay Apperson, Regional Editor
Chuck Weiss, Photo Assigning Editor
Andrew Ratner, features editor and blogging columnist
Bernie Kohn, the investigative team's editor

Bureau Chiefs
Joe DeCarlo
Dan Clemens
Bill Caulfield

Columnists and critics:
Rashod Ollison, music critic
Rick Maese, sports columnist
Bill Ordine, sports columnist
David Steele, sports columnist

Photographers:
Liz Malby
Glenn Fawcett
Chiaki Kawajiri
Monica Lopossay
Doug Kapustin
Glenn Fawcett

Designers:
Bill Wachsberger
Tracey Dieter
Carrie Lyle
Shirdell MacDonald

Copy desk:
Todd Windsor, designer/copy editor

Editorial Assistants:
Ellie Baublitz, editorial assistant
Makeda Crane, editorial assistant for opinion section
Fay Lande

Library staff:
Phyllis Kisner

This list is by no means complete.

If you wish your name added, e-mail me at kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com with the word - Sun Massacre – in the subject line.

Now let’s find jobs for everyone one this list.

20090429 The Real Muck Baltimore Sun Massacre
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
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