Times buys Tampa Trib

[CD Boogie]

Going through the University of Florida J-School, we heard so many stories about the St. Petersburg Times in its heyday -- the current dean of the school was once the executive editor there -- and all the legendary writers that came from there -- Rick Bragg, Tom French, Roy Peter Clark and Lane DeGregory, just to name a few. For many of us, those stories are what propelled us through school and into this field. We wanted to be like them. Everyone wanted to work at the St. Petersburg Times. Well, it wasn't long after I graduated when the paper changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times. Same paper right? Obviously not. One of my friends I graduated with got a job at the Tampa Bay Times a few months ago. I'm happy for her. But I've slowly come to realize (and this event just affirms it) the paper we heard so much about in school no longer exists. Even worse, the golden age of journalism that Bragg and Co. had the privilege to get their starts in, no longer exists either. I don't think I'll ever understand why God gave me such a love for journalism just so I can watch it suffer a slow and painful death.

Maybe you were meant for a different type of writing, one that takes more reflection and incubation.

 

[BDC99]

No clue what CD's point is, but I would bet good money that there were FAR more talented Florida grads who have passed through the Tribune than the Times. I can think of about a dozen off the top of my head. I'm no expert on the Times, but I can think of only a handful of folks I've met from there who were in-state college grads.

 

[Fredrick]

Did the hockey writer make it back to Florida?

 

[reformedhack]

Did the hockey writer make it back to Florida?

Yes, he was able to catch a flight back home, with assistance from his new corporate overlords.

 

[reformedhack]

No clue what CD's point is, but I would bet good money that there were FAR more talented Florida grads who have passed through the Tribune than the Times. I can think of about a dozen off the top of my head. I'm no expert on the Times, but I can think of only a handful of folks I've met from there who were in-state college grads.

I'd tend to agree. For a while, particularly during the 1980s and early '90s, the Times had a fetish about NOT hiring Florida grads, opting instead for Ivy Leaguers and places such as Northwestern and Missouri. Someone I worked with at the UF school paper did land a job right out of school with the Times — because he had family in St. Petersburg and had interned there for several summers — and it was regarded as another Lourdes Miracle.

 

[1HPGrad]

Sports copy desk had a lot of Gators, just not immediately out of school. Still have a couple.
There were a lot of IU grads, especially among managers. Makes sense. Tash is an IU grad. Neil went to Iowa. Shepherd went to Ohio State, I think. Acting SE went to Indiana. Couple of the ME types are from Northwestern, Indiana. Lot of Big Ten.

 

[BTExpress]

We went on a Ball State hiring spree in Fort Lauderdale for design people in the early 2000s.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

So what was the story behind not doing a final issue? If they decided they needed to shutter the Trib as soon as possible, then that's what it is and it was probably a depressingly inevitable end to a paper that was MG's financial scapegoat for so many years (I remember higher-ups complaining about the "Tampa drain" when I was MG in 2004 and again in 2005-07). But the costs of one final "happy trails to you, dear readers" issue couldn't have been that high when applying a 50,000-foot view. And for whatever was wrong with the Trib at the end, they still had loyal readers who deserved more print notice than having a Tampa Bay Times land on their doorstep with no pretext. If anything, a final issue would seem to be a moneymaker because people love anything that hints at collectable value.

Why no final issue? Was there a legal issue? A thought that having a lame-duck issue would do more harm than good? A simple, petty "fork you" to the competition?

 

[playthrough]

Sports copy desk had a lot of Gators, just not immediately out of school. Still have a couple.
There were a lot of IU grads, especially among managers. Makes sense. Tash is an IU grad. Neil went to Iowa. Shepherd went to Ohio State, I think. Acting SE went to Indiana. Couple of the ME types are from Northwestern, Indiana. Lot of Big Ten.

Yep. My wife and I both worked at the Times and both went to IU. Can think of several other Hoosiers. Wife's last editor in the bureaus went to Northwestern.

 

[Fredrick]

Yes, he was able to catch a flight back home, with assistance from his new corporate overlords.

Thank u for the information.

 

[reformedhack]

Just got word that the Times has hired former Tribune sports columnist Martin Fennelly. An email went to staffers earlier today.

A good — and logical — hire, if you ask me.

I'm aware of only two other hires, both from news: the military affairs reporter who absolutely kicked the Times' ass on coverage of MacDill Air Force Base (home of Central Command), and a general assignment reporter who covered Ybor City and Tampa's heritage.

I expect we might hear about others over the weekend. The Times is producing a special section about the Tribune's legacy, and it's possible they'll announce that "some of your favorite reporters are joining us!" or somesuch happy-happy spin. (I do know I'm quoted in one of the stories. It's always odd whenever I'm quoted in print, at least to me, but not nearly as weird as being quoted by the newspaper that was once the mortal enemy.)

 

[BDC99]

Just got word that the Times has hired former Tribune sports columnist Martin Fennelly. An email went to staffers earlier today.

A good — and logical — hire, if you ask me.

I'm aware of only two other hires, both from news: the military affairs reporter who absolutely kicked the Times' ass on coverage of MacDill Air Force Base (home of Central Command), and a general assignment reporter who covered Ybor City and Tampa's heritage.

I expect we might hear about others over the weekend. The Times is producing a special section about the Tribune's legacy, and it's possible they'll announce that "some of your favorite reporters are joining us!" or somesuch happy-happy spin. (I do know I'm quoted in one of the stories. It's always odd whenever I'm quoted in print, at least to me, but not nearly as weird as being quoted by the newspaper that was once the mortal enemy.)

I saw it as implied but you didn't mention Cuba. That will be an important beat going forward. And I will say that the guilt those folks making that move are feeling, while unnecessary, is real.