Dec

6

New Round of Cuts May Hit Sports Departments, SI

December 6, 2008 | by T.J. Donegan | Categories Newspapers | Comments Off

Sweeping cuts and layoffs have become the norm at newspapers and media companies in the past few years and it seems, with the economy in the state it is, that’s not changing anytime soon.

In late October, Gannet Co., Inc. which owns USA Today and more than 80 medium-sized papers in metropolitan areas around the country, would be laying off more than 3,000 across all their newspaper holdings by the beginning of this month. News came from Gannet Blog Wednesday that the cuts have already begun.

In addition, apparently Newsday has eliminated the positions of Shaun Powell and Johnette Howard. This comes on the heels of the news that Sports Illustrated (as well as Fortune, Time, People, and Money) is going to look to cut employeess as well. (courtesy Deadspin) Rumored among the cuts are senior writer Richard Hoffer, Alexander Wolff, and the venerable Dr. Z whose career was basically euologized by both Bill Simmons (scroll to the bottom, in his closing) and Peter King after he suffered two strokes this past week.

The cuts are an accepted reality in the business now and it’s going to mean wholesale changes for the biggest names in the industries. Many of the biggest names in sports media command high salaries and, with many getting up there in age, it’s not unlikely that some may just call time on their careers.

It’s a shame on a number of levels. Some of the best sports media voices of our time are going to fall silent real soon and some real top-notch production and business-side people are going to lose their jobs in a market that isn’t exactly conducive to a job or career change.

It’s also making it very hard to break into the business, with competition for what traditionally would be entry-level positions incredibly fierce. The other day I heard of a sports reporting position (at a non Gannett paper) with a salary of barely over $25,000/yr, a pay grade ripe for a 20-something with no family to consider, being filled by a writer who had several decades of experience. There are jobs at that pay rate, but it’s harder and harder to get them.

The Gannett cuts may not take away from the big national voices just yet, but some sports beats at the medium-sized papers will certainly be on the chopping block. Jon Talton has a good take on the cuts, if a very opinionated one, and what it means for the quality of the journalism at GCI shops.

Overall it’s a rough time for newspapers and magazines and you can bet the sports desks are definitely vulnerable. It’s going to be a nervy, interesting time in the next year or so and I’m not sure newspapers are going to survive much more of this.


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