Up to no good at Union-Trib?

What exactly does a sports "innovation" editor do?

 

112 cut today. That makes 300+ in the past few months.

It's the sixth downsizing at the paper since 2006. The paper has shrunk from 1,422 employees then to less than 850 -- more than a 40 percent reduction. (voiceofsandiego.org).

 

I never like to see people laid off - but it was interesting that they ousted the top two people in the editorial department - an editorial department many viewed as anti-union. Of course, a couple large unions have a big chunk of their pensions tied up with an equity group. The same group that just bought the San Diego Union-Tribune.

 

Chuck Scott was, I believe, the sports Web editor, true? He had been asked a year or two ago to take the job and give up being sports editor, if I heard the story correctly.

So much for innovation ........

 

I was kind of under the impression that they just gave him the screwy new title, but I might be wrong.

 

My understanding as well. His inclusion in the layoff was not a surprise.

 

Why?

Also, if anyone knows of Sports casualties ... Not gawking at the wreck, but I have a couple friends out there I haven't heard from, and I'm fearing the worst.

 

Indeed, the Turk came calling for me yesterday, and asked me to bring my playbook.

For those curious about my now former role, a year and a half ago our editor pulled a few newsroom folks away from their daily print responsibilities to focus on growing our online traffic. Yeah, it was a funky title (first time I ever Googled something and came away with zero hits) that I assumed was an outgrowth of our, let's call it challenging, relationship with our Web department.

The job entailed a little of everything -- rebuilding and adding features to our Chargers and Padres sites, working with the sports staff to emphasize more of a multi-platform approach, coordinating with online ad reps, discussing potential relationships with outside vendors, even updating the site from home on weekends because there was nobody else to do it.

In anyone wants to contact me directly to reminisce, swap recipes (stole that from Sullivan) or forward any job openings (I was going to add "as long as it's not with another newspaper," but that's probably not necessary these days), you can reach me at chuckscott@mac.com.

-- Chuck

 

Let me be the first to say sorry Chuck (at least on SportsJournalists.com). Today is a terrible day with a lot of emotions. But you are in good company and from what I've read, you've made a lot of friends in the buisness and I'm sure you will be able to come out of this on top.

 

If I knew of any openings I'd probably be applying, but good luck to you, Chuck

 

Who is the sports editor these days in San Diego? (When management asked Chuck a few years ago to "try something new," I guess the correct response would have been, "Hell, no.")

 

Doug Williams is the sports editor at the U-T. Like Chuck Scott, he is a very good guy who rages (in a soft-spoken way) against the dying of the light.

It is because of people like them that the light will last.