East Valley Tribune gets hammered

word is the following made the cut...

Bordow, Romantic, Les Wilsey, two prep guys.

 

Good work if you can get it.

But 99.982% of those leaving the business (forced out or by choice) can't.

 

Holy shit. That's stunning --- something over 40 percent.

Dude, I'm sorry this happened. And in case you haven't already, start shipping out resumes ASAP.

 

Steve Burks also qualifies for that Yuma-to-Mesa list. One of the best human beings I've ever worked with. I hope all three of them come out on the happy side of par.

 

Here is a list I was sent of those who will lose their jobs in January. Very, very tough situation for these folks.

Copy desk - Jason Harper, Bill Macomber, Terrence Walsh, Connie Hayes
Graphics – Gabe Utasi and Scott Kirchhofer
Photographers – Brad Armstrong, Julio Jimenez, Ralph Freso, Paul O’Neill, Tony D’Astoli
Reporters – Jason Massad, Devon Hersom, Nick Martin, Dennis Welch, Paul Giblin, Donna Hogan, Tony Natale, Lawn Griffiths, Mary Kay Reinhart
Editors – Bob Satnan, Patti Epler, Jim Ripley, Andre Bowser
Web – Chris Lavelle, Phil Tortorra, Wendy Killeen
Sports – Jerry Brown, Jack Magruder, Craig Morgan, Matt Paulson, Mike Tulumello, Dan Zeiger, Brad Sheets, Dave Argabright, Michael Taylor
Features – Michael Grady, Craig Outhier
Mesa clerk - Audrey Boeldt
IT – Kate Manning

 

That's a heavy list of heavy hitters in sports that's being shown the door.

 

As a baseball fan, I always counted on the EVT for Diamondbacks news. It simply, IMO, had more news than the Republic. A great paper and one of the top sports sections in the country. I'm sorry to hear the news, and good luck to all.

 

They're axing Craig Outhier? Damn. His movie reviews were the main reason I picked up their entertainment mag back in the day.

I hope they're not getting rid of the long-timers just to unload their (well-earned, experience-based) salaries but it seems like that's the case with many of these names.

God, I hate this industry.

 

They're whacking web folks? WTF?

To quote the Prophet Lewis Black, "Is anybody fucking HOME?"

There are people in the EVT executive ranks who need a heavy dose of bad karma. And fast.

 

Ripley is the paper's executive editor.

 

Folks, I appreciate all the kind comments about the paper and its staff. It has been a terrible couple of days. I feel like I am mourning the loss of a loved one. One of the reasons I've stayed at the paper for so long was that I was able to take pride in the product. Although we were the smaller paper in town, we busted our butts to put out the best possible product. We took pride in being able to break stories and do more than a staff our size should be able to.

Now that's all gone, and it's devastating. Every time I think about it, talk about it or write about it, I feel like throwing up.

I have always loved my job; it's what I've wanted to do since I was 10 years old. Now, I feel like I have to get out. And that saddens me as much as anything.

 

That's the part that makes no sense to me. If everyone's supposedly going online heavy (and Chris Lavelle had been doing a great job with that site), why the hell would you get rid of ANYONE in that department, let alone its head?