Landmark eliminates racing writer

[Moderator1]

My friend Dustin Long posted this on his Facebook page. Hope he doesn't mind me sharing since it is very much related to the business:

Got word that my newspaper chain is eliminating my job AFTER this season. At least I've still got a few months. It's been a fun ride for 13 seasons. Hey, as they say, when one doors closes another opens. Can't wait to see what lies ahead. It should be an interesting and exciting time. I can't complain. My papers have been very good to me. It's been a great ride and look forward to these next few months.

 

[Mark2010]

The day is coming when there will be as many former journalists as there currently are Yankee haters.

 

[Hoos3725]

Wow.

I can't say I'm surprised, because this has happened to so many NASCAR writers. But there's still a bit of shock every time something like this happens.

 

[playthrough]

Every sports beat has taken it on the chin in recent years, but motorsports and golf seem to have especially had the bullseye on them. For Pete's sake, Landmark's area is the heart of Nascar country.

Dustin's one of the very best guys in the biz. As president of the National Motorsports Press Association he saw how much the membership had been hurting for work and tried like hell to help. Look at the "freelance available" board, he started a stickied thread trying to get his guys hired. I bet good karma will come his way now.

 

[Cosmo]

Wow. Provides original content for three fairly large newspapers in the heart of NASCAR country and still gets ****canned? There's little hope for any of us.

 

[Moderator1]

An assbuster and a very good guy - I remember the day Martinsville was sold while the circuit was in Richmond. I got to the press center VERY early and he'd already laid out the groundwork for two of the four stories he was doing. Knows his stuff. He'll end up somewhere good. If I had the slot and the coin, I'd tell him to stay put and crank that NASCAR stuff my way.

It is a sad commentary on the state of the business.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Newspapers long ago stopped spending money on covering news people need and ought to know -- like foreign news, fer instance. Now, we see newspapers stopping coverage of news they know damn well their readers WANT.
Which brings up the question, why do they expect readers to keep consuming their product -- even for free on the Internet?

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Wasn't there talk they were going to eliminate his position a few years ago but he survived?

Good guy and a strong reporter. Does Virginia have any papers with dedicated full-time NASCAR writers (understanding that Dustin worked out of NC)? For a state with four races a year and a bunch more in easy drive, that's saying something.

 

[Tarheel316]

Unbelievable. No, check that. Anything the suits do isn't surprising anymore.

 

[wicked]

Wasn't there talk they were going to eliminate his position a few years ago but he survived?

That's what I thought, too.

 

[imjustagirl]

It was, if I remember correctly. Dustin is one of the truly nicest people in that media center. He was always very helpful to me (partly because he was friends with Nate Ryan, so I think he felt some sort of necessity to help me out) but was kind and good. Still is, shouldn't say was.

I wish I could say with certainty he will land on his feet; if spirit and intent and dedication matter, he will. He really is one of the best.

 

[murphyc]

In terms of NASCAR beat writers cut in recent years, off the top of my head I know of Minter, Mulhern, Woody, Pedley, Sturbin and I know I'm forgetting several. Lot of experience pushed aside. Plus you have racing publications like NASCAR Scene and National Speed Sport News cutting their print publications. On the Internet side, a couple of years ago Yahoo cut Bonkowski.
I've never met Dustin, but I was impressed with how he works hard to find work for other writers. Like playthrough said, hopefully he gets seriously good karma for that.

 

[SportsGuyBCK]

Add Tony Fabrizio from Tampa to that list ... heard he was among the victims in the latest bloodletting ...

 

[tapintoamerica]

Nobody need worry about Dustin. He is great at what he does and will hit the ground running to something better.

 

[Cigar56]

The Landmark papers will announce more cuts heading into 2012 -- along with a new round of furloughs. Dustin's job is just the start. But at least they are treating him right by giving him several months notice. Quite unusual.

 

[Birdscribe]

Amazing. Simply amazing. MichaelGee's lucid take on this says it all.

I know Dustin in passing, from the times he came out to Fontana for the races there. Our firm runs the media center there and unlike some of his other Eastern brethren, who were a pain in the ass to deal with and who spent more time re-fighting the Civil War and endlessly whining about having to come to SoCal, Dustin was classy, professional and great to work with.

Every race, he took time to come over and thank us for what we did. Never mind the fact he's damn good at what he does, karma will indeed smile upon him.

 

[Cosmo]

Amazing. Simply amazing. MichaelGee's lucid take on this says it all.

I know Dustin in passing, from the times he came out to Fontana for the races there. Our firm runs the media center there and unlike some of his other Eastern brethren, who were a pain in the ass to deal with and who spent more time re-fighting the Civil War and endlessly whining about having to come to SoCal, Dustin was classy, professional and great to work with.

Every race, he took time to come over and thank us for what we did. Never mind the fact he's damn good at what he does, karma will indeed smile upon him.

Ahem ... it's called The War of Northern Aggression.

 

[Birdscribe]

Amazing. Simply amazing. MichaelGee's lucid take on this says it all.

I know Dustin in passing, from the times he came out to Fontana for the races there. Our firm runs the media center there and unlike some of his other Eastern brethren, who were a pain in the ass to deal with and who spent more time re-fighting the Civil War and endlessly whining about having to come to SoCal, Dustin was classy, professional and great to work with.

Every race, he took time to come over and thank us for what we did. Never mind the fact he's damn good at what he does, karma will indeed smile upon him.

Ahem ... it's called The War of Northern Aggression.

One of the great revisionist historical lines ever created I'll chalk that up to your current digs, Cosmo.