Thursday, April 23, 2009; ...and it's looking goodI never though I would find myself in this situation at this point in my career but for the first time in over 20 years I am joining the ranks of the unemployed.
April 22, 2009 was Black Wednesday at the Chicago Tribune. It started out a normal day for me, I rolled out of bed, checked my Blackberry no big news overnight. My grandkids stopped by, I played a little house with Guin, shot some photos of the kids and made my dinner for work. At about 12:30 I took a peak at my Blackberry again only to see and e-mail titled "Organizing for the future...and today's actions" from Tribune editor Gerry Kern.
The e-mail started:
"Today we begin a reorganization of the Chicago Tribune newsroom that will focus us more clearly on our core mission and prepare us for the economic recovery when it comes."and continued:
"This process comes with pain: 53 of our friends and colleagues will be leaving the Chicago Tribune as a consequence of changing priorities."I went online to check the Tribune website and there it was again on the bottom right side of the main page, "Tribune announces 53 job cuts." No names, but the news was out.
I had my lunch ready and bags at the door when my phone rang in the other room. I missed the call and with my heart in my hand I checked my voice mail. "John...I need you to call me before you come to work today. It is very important." I had another message on my personal phone from earlier in the morning. I wanted to remember all the details of the call but it is still very hazy.
For the past few years I have watched as friends have left the Tribune and the staff went from 600 plus to about 430. The photo staff stands at about 18 with about 12 picture editors surviving. Some have been moved to design pages and work in different areas. I documented a bit of staff leaving over the years so I figured I would bring a camera with me when I went in to pack my belongings.
I was downtown around 6pm but I could not bring myself to going into a full newsroom. I am good with my future but I did not feel like a ride on the emotional roller coaster.
I popped into the office around 11:30pm to clean out my desk and say goodbye to a few people still working to close the last few editions. One good friend was cleaning out her desk, it was a very sad moment.
I packed up my ten years into a half dozen boxes, shared a few stories with friends and zeroed out my e-mail account. I sent my farewell e-mail to the staff at 4:09am and I dropped off my employee tag other company property.
There was one person left in the newsroom working and one coming in to start his day. I am grateful again for the quiet moments with friends, not having a security guard hanging over me and not being forced to come in earlier in the day. It could have been much worse.
I made it through the night with a few hugs and a few watery eyes. With my desk clean a few boxes to carry down I left one last entry on my desk calendar for Wednesday, April 22, 2009.
-30-
This is the traditional symbol used by journalists to indicate the end of a story. Starting Wednesday the Tribune has decided they do not need a picture editor to work in the sports section. Two guys worked that desk and we were both layed off, end of story
As I drove home the sky started to brighten up. It reminded me of my intern days back in the 80's in Boca Raton, FL when we used to work till 1am, pick up a 6 pack and sit in the park and drink till the sun came up.
I did not have a 6 pack but I stopped at a park along the Fox River on the way home to watch the sun come up.
It's a new day and it doesn't look that bad.
Here are the three frames I start the next chapter with.
-john
Below is a partial list of the 53 journalists let go from the Tribune as of Wednesday. I do not know of an official list.
DeVona Alleyne, Newsdesk
Alan Artner, Art Critic, A&E
William L. Avorio, Multi-Media Imaging Technician
Terry Bannon, Illinois Basketball/Football Reporter, Sports
Eric Benderoff, Technology Reporter, Financial News
Geoff Black, Photo Editor, Features
Joshua Boak, Business Reporter
Beth Botts, Garden Writer, House & Homes
Brenda Butler, Assistant Editor, Chicago Tribune Magazine
Thomas Carkeek, Associate Subject Editor, Sports
Lou Carlozo, Reporter, Smart
Ed Cavanaugh, Assistant Copy Editor, Sports
Charles Cherney, Staff Photographer
Suzanne Cosgrove, Assistant Editor, House & Homes
Candice Cusic, Staff Photographer
Mary L. Dedinsky, Web Editor, Metro
Susan Diesenhouse, Real Estate Feature Writer
Robert K. Elder, Reporter, Live
Marty Fischer, Assistant Subject Editor, Metro Copy Desk
William Grady, Deputy Bureau Chief, Schaumburg Bureau
Timothy J. Horneman, Assistant Subject Editor, Metro
Lucy Hoy, Assistant Subject Editor, Metro Copy Desk
Tom Hundley, Reporter, Chicago Tribune Magazine
Melissa Isaacson, Specialist Reporter, Sports
John Konstantaras, Picture Editor, Sports
Susan Kuczka, General Assignment Reporter/Writer, Vernon Hills Bureau
Lilah Lohr, Assistant Books Editor
Elaine Matsushita, Editor, House & Homes
James P. Miller, Corporate Strategy and Manufacturing Reporter, Financial News
Kristin Morris, Assistant Design Editor, Sports
John Mullin, Reporter, Sports
Josephine Napolitano, General Assignment Reporter/Writer, Tinley Park Bureau.
Robert Ohap, Assistant Subject Editor, News Editing
Min Pak, Imaging Technician
Bradley Piper, Senior Producer, Editorial Multimedia
Jessica Reaves, Reporter
Patrick Reardon, Reporter, Live!Jessica Reaves, Reporter, Chicago Tribune Magazine
Richard Rothschild, Assistant Copy Editor, Sports
Storer Rowley, National Editor
Bob Sakamoto, High School Sports Reporter
John Smierciak, Staff Photographer
Carolyn Starks, General Assignment Reporter/Writer, Crystal Lake Bureau
Keith Swinden, Picture Editor, Sports
Dimitry Tetin, Assistant Subject Editor, Presentation
Bonnie Trafelet, Staff Photographer
David Trotman-Wilkins, Staff Photographer
Bob Vanderberg, Assistant High School Sports Editor
Thomas Van Dyke, Staff Photographer
Russell Working, General Assignment Reporter/Writer, Oak Brook Bureau
Also on the list and no longer with the Tribune
Paul Salopek, Foreign correspondent
Kim Barker, Foreign correspondent
Laurie Goering, Foreign correspondent
all photos © John Konstantaras
