RIP East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)

The Trib, of course, laid off half its staff, stopped home delivery and cut back its circulation area, won a Pulitzer this year ... and is now closing its door.

http://www.heatcity.org/2009/11/breaking-east-valley-tribune-t.html

 

Damn, this is sad. Feel for the staffers. Hadn't read it much for quite some time, though. Kinda fell off my radar after Slim Smith left.

 

Wow. That's a lot of red ink.

 

my favorite paper when i lived in tempe. sigh. good luck to those who were left. and good luck to anyone still at a freedom paper...

 

Dammit.

I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, after the way the paper was gutted last year, but it still feels like a blow.

My folks got both the Trib and the Republic at one point when I was in high school (seems unthinkable now) and the Trib always had better local coverage. That continued even after it was gutted.

Even at the end, it was one of the best suburban papers in its class in the country. RIP. Lots of great people, lots of great reporting. As a citizen of the Valley of the Sun, I feel the area will be poorer for this.

ETA: Just caught this beauty. "There were people who expressed interest," said Freedom spokeswoman Maya Pogoda. "However, none of the bids were suitable."

So a Pulitzer-winning paper making an honest attempt to do local journalism right is shuttered because Freedom needs a tax write-off? Fuck 'em. Fuck 'em all.

 

A sad day in journalism, especially in the East Valley.

I worked for the newspaper for 2 1/2 years, and I feel sad for the many talented people who will be out of a job, including Mike Welton, Les Willsey, Bob Romantic, Scott Bordow, people whom I worked with in sports. And some great people outside news, including editor Chris Coppola.
As someone who lost his job five months ago, I know how you are feeling. You can contact me at cones123@comcast.net.
Allen Cone, 1996-1999 at the East Valley Tribune.

 

This one hurt. Always thought highly of Bob, Les and Steve Burks, among others.

Freedom Communications: A good walk spoiled.

 

When I was in a job hunt a few years ago, I reached out to Bob Romantic to gauge the Tribune's need.

He was very helpful, answered all my questions, encouraged me to send a resume and let me know when it got there.

A lot of sports editors blow you off and don't even give you the common courtesy of a reply. Bob was not one of those guys. Nothing ever opened up there and I moved elsewhere, but I don't forget kindness like that.

I hope they all land on their feet fast.

 

Deposed EVT staffers will just "love" to read this:
Bonuses to Freedom execs.

http://azcapitoltimes.com/azpolicywonk/2009/11/05/freedom-paid-out-37m-in-bonuses-to-top-executives/

 

And the hits just keep on coming. Used to be that Pulitzer meant something.
Good luck to all involved at East Valley.
Damn, this is so depressing.

 

This business really is run by utter fucktards.

I worked under Julie Moreno in Yuma, AZ before she moved up to the EV Trib and always thought well of her, as far as publishers go. I guess this shouldn't surprise me, but it does.

Really sickening for Freedom to be handing out that kind of cash given that state the company's in, and what it's doing to its rank-and-file employees. One of those bonuses could easily pay for several furloughs and shore up the pay cuts employees have taken.

I hate what the business has become.