Mariotti to Tribune on September 1

Is Hal McCoy's driver pretty buff?

 

They've known for a couple of months. Apparently he thought he could start on July 24, the one year anniversary of his quitting at the Sun Times, so this became big newsroom gossip in late June.

But yes, the staff is none too pleased. They're also pissed off that the Tribune started a horrible blog collective at www.chicagonow.com (not to be confused with the Chicago chapter of the National Organization of Women at www.chicagonow.org), and they're linking to those hacktastic bloggers (who are being paid by the pageview) from the Tribune Web site under the real staff's articles.

It's almost certain that Mariotti will also blog for that site so he can tout the Tribune's foresight and other such bullshit.

 

I'm thinking of moving to Chicago and subscribing -- just for the joy of canceling on Sept. 1.

 

People need jobs, which is how I'll take what likely will be a reluctance to resign en masse on principles. Cutting loose the people the Tribune cut loose, and then inviting in (at serious $$$, I'm guessing) E. Munster, ought to nauseate anyone in that newsroom, Sports or non-Sports.

The lack of spine among the editors, though, in going along with this harebrained move undermines what few shreds of credibility the Tribune has left as a newspaper (yes, I told top editors to higher standards -- some of them do need to quit over principles from time to time, just to keep things honest).

The message here to the world, loud and clear, is that the Tribune's editors do as they're told by marketing, VP and publisher types. The idea that they serve some higher standard than any other middle-management toadies in any other field is over. If they send their journalists after you and yours -- your company, organization, political party, beliefs -- you will always know (or be able to claim) it was done as a calculated business move -- which dictates things there -- rather than as a moral compass, social conscience or true news organization.

My relatives in Chicagoland who hadn't already cancelled their subscriptions will be doing so in about three weeks.

 

With all that's happened at the Tribune the last few years, my father, who has lived in the Chicago area for 50 years and has subscribed to the Tribune for 40-plus years, recently canceled in favor of a subscription to the New York Times.

 

when is ebert going to chime in? can't wait to read that.

 

To be fair, you pretty much do as you are told by publisher types.

 

Who writes for ESPNChicago.com? I see that Melissa Isaacson has a column. Anyone else?

 

Tribune is denying this:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004001694

 

i thought the story was he was joining the chicagonow nonsense, not the paper itself.

 

Also:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?page_id=2317&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3af5555513-c950-4657-a93a-80db16fdf4adPost%3ad577f0dc-3379-4efb-837a-9718d2c0b955&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending&sid=sitelife.chicagobusiness.com

 

Always thought Mariotti would land at ESPN Chicago. Not only does he already work for ESPN-TV on Around The Horn, but he appears in front of the ESPN Chicago backdrop when he's on the show.