Names are starting to stream in from the lastest layoffs at the Sun-Sentinel. As always, I'm going to compile them as they come in. This has caused a small bit of controversy in the past, but it's done in the name of honoring those who are leaving and informing the public of exactly what it's losing at Broward's (less) big daily.
I have also been looking into reports in comments below that there have been layoffs in the classified department and that the department is going to be outsourced to Chicago. I think it's safe to say the latter is true. I called a classified sales agent today and she said the calls would be routed to the "call center in Chicago." I haven't been able to confirm layoffs. I got Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman on the phone in Chicago, and all he would give me were corporate platitudes. "We are constantly trying to improve the business model," he told me. "We are doing a number of things to be efficient across the company. Getting into the nitty gritty details is not something I'm going to do."
He told me to call Jennifer Sacks, the Sentinel spokeswoman. She told me that whatever was happening in classifieds was something she couldn't "expand on."
Isn't it great how the Sun-Sentinel is so accountable to the public about what's going on? For them, it's all about sunlight, openness, and the power of the truth -- as long as it's another company.
They're also keeping the layoffs a secret, of course, but here's the beginnings of the list, which comes from several sources (including a comment below). I'll be updating as information comes to me. I'm not going to comment on the individual names, but to say there are some great people on this list already.
-- Book Editor Chauncey Mabe
-- Consumer watchdog reporter Mc Nelly Torres
-- Multimedia reporter Sallie James
-- Federal courts reporter Vanessa Blum
-- Reporter Andrew Tran
-- Editorial writer Alva James-Johnson
-- Assistant business editor Paul Bomberger
-- Reporter Luis Perez
-- Photographer Lou Toman
-- Editor for News Research, Training and Readership Gail Bulfin
-- Home & Garden Editor Charlyne Varkonyi Schaub
-- Features copy editor Laura Kelly
-- Assistant Sports Editor Tom Christensen
-- Assistant Sports Editor Don McMullen
-- Sports writer Michael Cunningham
-- Sports agate clerk Mike Santell
-- Photographer Scott Fisher
-- Designer Dan Gordon
-- Designer Xavier Maranon
-- Copy Editor Davidson Taylor
-- Copy Editor Khari Williams
-- Copy Editor Glenn Singer
-- Copy Editor Allen Cone
-- Copy Editor Tim Dodson (a part-timer who'd already taken a buyout)