Layoffs at Sun-Sentinel

Unfortunately, our shop lopped our golf writer a couple of years ago. There are very few newspapers anywhere, including Florida, that still employ a golf writer. Hate to see this.

 

Shain isn't limited to golf, either.
Guess the Sentinel had too many "content providers."

 

Was in Orlando over the weekend, and they don't even seem to have copy editors anymore. What a mess that company has become.

 

And Smits has taken on a lot of FSU coverage (the stuff not taken from Orlando) and commuting to Tallahassee since the T-U dropped the daily FSU beat a few years ago.

 

Mike Berardino just confirmed via Twitter that he was laid off by the Sun-Sentinel yesterday after nearly 15 years there working as a baseball writer, Dolphins beat writer and columnist. He was told it was purely an economical decision and not performance based and is taking the news with nothing but class.

I, on the other hand, am still sick to my stomach and was feeling bad enough yesterday before I heard the news about Jeff Shain. You'll be hard-pressed to find two harder working journalists and just plain good people than Mike and Jeff, and for Jeff, this is the second time in less than five years, with the Miami Herald showing him the door first.

Is there no end in sight to this shit? Apparently not. I can't think of anything else to say at this point other than to wish both of these fine writers the best of luck going forward and hope for both of them to land back on their feet quickly! :-\

 

Oh Christ. When someone mentioned a big name, I wondered if it was Hyde or Berardino. With any luck... and someone who is on the ball... Mike will find a new gig, and I hope it's very soon.

When I think of what the S-S used to be like... it's still a decent read but nowhere near what it was like when a lot of resources were poured into it. That old stable of writers... wow.

 

As much as I hate to say this, when it comes to newspapers, no, there is no end to it. Get out if you can. If you can stay in sports journalism, that's fabulous. But not working for a newspaper.

That fact makes me ill. All I've ever wanted to do for the past 30 years is work in sports for a newspaper. But that's a bad place to be right now.

My heart goes out to all of those caught in this. I've been there myself. I wish you the best and hope you find a safe landing place.

 

To drop a writer with the experience and talent of Mike Berardino is just senseless. He'll land on his feet, and quickly.

 

Let's hope so.

 

Quality doesn't matter. The basics do -- keeping primary beats covered -- which is why those are the safest positions to have. Columnists, G.A., feature writers beware! What used to be the upper rungs of the writing ladder have been used for kindling.

 

It's not about experience or talent. It's about dollars and cents. I think we all understand that by now.

 

Yes, Mike is a great writer and a great guy and he does the work. Whoever hires him will be happy they did.