Thursday 11 September 2008

Black September at Big Brick

A Bee Business story on this week's buy-outs was long on numbers, but it didn't mention a single name of the very real people who are leaving The Bee this fall. So I'm going to drop the commentary and just list those who are leaving.

Read the names, remember the people - and the stories. These are the people who made The Bee what it is...was. And the names say it all.

Wow. What a loss. (OK, a little editorializing...)

Mike Dunne
Janet Fullwood
Pat Rubin
Dorothy Korber
Deb Kollars
Bruce Dancis
Sarah Williams
Dan Vierria
David Favrot
Lori Richardson
Bob Sylva
Greg Endicott
Kevin McKenna
Gwen Schoen
Barbara Stubbs
Art Campos
Lakiesha McGhee
Milt Whaley
Ramon Coronado
Edgar Sanchez
Lisa Elizondo
Matt Carroll
Angie Pappas
Mark Billingsley
Matt Boudourian
Gerri Boutrarye
Janice Coleman

(NB: Though the last seven are from Special Sections, a separate editorial section, this focuses on the newsroom. Many other departments - in fact, whole departments - are disappearing. Please let me know of anyone I've forgotten, and if any of these people are NOT leaving - the news is just trickling out - please let me know ASAP. Also note: Mike Dunne is taking the buyout, but will be staying on for a couple of months.)

Those people join the following, who left in (roughly) the last few years, many under duress. Again, the cumulative talent - and community knowledge - lost is just phenomenal:

Fahizah Alim
Mareva Brown
Alison ApRoberts
Ralph Montano
Lisa Heyamoto
Dan Nguyen
Cameron Jahn
Christina Jewett
Edie Lau
Jon Williams
Kevin German
Thuy-Doan Le
Todd Milbourn
Erica Chavez
Steve Terry
Jay Mather
John Hughes
Dorsey Griffith
Elizabeth Hume
Crystal Carreon
Nancy Weaver Teichert
Jocelyn Weiner
Erhardt Krause
Laura Mecoy
Dick Schmidt
Walt Wiley
Steve Gibson
Herbert Sample
Claire Cooper
Pamela Martineau
Cynthia Craft
Judy Lin
Tom Philp
Gwendolyn Crump
Pauline Haynes
Mark Kreidler
Stuart Drown
R.E. Graswich
Becky Boyd
Patricia Beach Smith
Gary Delsohn
Amy Eckert
Jewel Reilly
Alexa Bluth
Clint Swett
Rick Rodriguez
...and yours truly.

17 comments:

Cameron said...

seriously sad times in the industry. i hope they find a way to make money on that website...

zokuga said...

A lot of my favorite people are still at the Bee, but it's hard to imagine working - or the paper functioning - without the ones who have just left.

Kevin German said...

It is sad. My memories of the place are not the same now. But this is the time of the independent journalist, as you well know David. It feels good. You got something to say? Shit, say it. The world is too quiet to sit in a newspaper office doing the work your editors want you to do.

It's time to see, unrestricted.

Blog on my friend.

Anonymous said...

About a year ago, Stu Drown was talking one of the other recently departed and he said, “Right now, leaving The Bee might feel like buyer’s regret, but wait a while and its going to turn into survivors remorse.”

That’s exactly where I am right now. My heart goes out to all those great people who have had to make some very tough decisions.

Anonymous said...

Jesus H!
That's 50 people in two years!
I spoke to someone there today and they said the entire features department is wearing black today and it aint because they love J. Cash.

Kevin German said...

Thuy-Doan Le also left a year ago.

Mike said...

David:

Dick Tracy sent me your blog listing the goners -- all really good people, every single one. I must have gotten out of there at the right time. In any case, on the bright side, if any of those are of retirement age, retirement ain't half bad. But to be financially forced out of a job must be heart-breaking to some. I'll add your blog to my favorites. - Mattis

Unknown said...

Add to this illustrious list:
Jay Mather
Erhardt Krause
Amy Eckert
Herb Sample
Laura Mecoy

David Jensen said...

Mort Saltzman will be leaving at the end of October.

David Jensen

Anonymous said...

I felt sad when I read those lists. I loved working at The Bee for the longest time. Many of those names are just the best people I know and they made my job interesting. I left, I'm doing great; I wish the same for all the others. I still get and read the paper daily but I'll miss the contributions of those who are now leaving; just as I miss the bylines of so many talented people who left over the last few years.

Anonymous said...

David:

I'm not sure Maria Henson is formally 'gone.' She's on a leave of absence and last I heard was volunteering in Africa.

Dan Adams said...

Really very disturbing to see what is happening at The Bee and other papers (and TV stations). They are the watchdogs of the community. For 30+ years, I worked in the field with many of those leaving ... excellent journalists. Best of luck to you ... as both David & I can attest, there is life after TV/newspapers.

Anonymous said...

OK, what is the endgame here? Does the Bee suffer the same fate as the Union and shut it down forever at some point? And are we to truly believe newspapers have been slain by the "New Media?" That's BS I say but the truth will never be known.

Zwahlen Images said...

Sheesh, it's sounds just another number till you see the names of the people effected. I hope they can all get back on their feet again soon.

Jonk Heap said...

Dear Lord. I'll leave it at that.

Anonymous said...

I stopped buying the paper because it has nothing in it for young single women of color like myself. I even wrote to the Bee to ask them to let our voice be heard. But according to the B we're all single mamas on welfare.

Anonymous said...

I know that we'll feel the departure of Bruce Dancis. With the exception of Rachel Leibrock with 21Q, he was the only one at The Bee who felt that what we were doing was important for Sacramento, and so would try to spotlight or reference us whenever/wherever was appropriate (including including a reference to us in his DVD review of "Honeydripper"). He even helped with some communications with others at The Bee. I have now been directed to Dixie Reid as our main contact. Short of anything Rachel might reference, I think we'll be getting little (to zero) coverage in The Bee now. I might be wrong, but I get that feeling... We really appreciated Bruce.

Robert
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