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Tribune trims newsroom staff by five
By COLLEEN JENKINS
Published April 12, 2007
TAMPA The Tampa Tribune laid off five members of its newsroom Wednesday, including well-known movie critic Bob Ross, features columnist Judy Hill and a veteran reporter in Citrus County, Jim Tunstall. The layoffs were part of a wider trimming of the newspaper, which announced Tuesday that it would eliminate about 70 jobs. Janet Weaver, the paper's executive editor and vice president, said managers cut positions with an eye toward keeping strong local news coverage and enhancing the online product. Ross and Hill had been with the paper for 21 years and 19 years, respectively. The paper will no longer produce local movie criticism. It will run reviews from other sources, Weaver said. Tunstall, the Tribune's only reporter in Citrus, went to jail in Hernando County in 1983 for refusing to divulge the identity of a confidential source. A sports department team leader based in Tampa and a photo lab manager rounded out the dismissed staffers. Most layoffs at the newspaper will be in circulation, customer service and classified advertising telephone sales, company officials said. The measures come at a time of dwindling advertising and circulation in the newspaper industry. The decisionmaking process centered on preserving reporter and photographer positions, Weaver said. "We wanted to keep feet on the street," she said. Colleen Jenkins can be reached at 813 226-3337 or cjenkins@sptimes.com.
[Last modified April 12, 2007, 01:14:43]
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by Janice
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05/05/07 01:01 PM
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It's almost embarrassing that Tampa had no showing of the movie, "The Wind that Shakes the Barley". This movie which won the Palme d'or at Cannes is as close to perfect as movies get. Saw it in Sarasota; sadly I knew it wouldn't make it to Tampa.
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by Beth
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05/04/07 10:58 AM
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Movie reviewers, like columnists, are often one of the few faces readers know. That connection breeds loyalty to the newspaper. Why do pubishers continue to try to save the product by killing the product?
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by Cyndie
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04/15/07 08:01 PM
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To the guy who commented on the alleged "criminal act": Jim Tunstall went to jail for contempt, honoring his word and protecting his source, this is not an embarrassment. It illustrates his ethics and dedication to journalism. Itò019s a badge of honor.
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by Brian
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04/14/07 02:38 PM
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I worked with Bob and Judy about 10 years ago, and both helped me a ton as a young writer. I'm stunned by this news. I've read plenty about newspapers offering buyouts to more-experienced staffers, but this is cold and cruel.
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by Barry
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04/13/07 05:48 PM
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Mark: Nobody said the people who were laid off did zilch. A newsroom employee can add a lot of value to the news product without enhancing local coverage or the Web site. Think of the movie critic: The content might be great, but it's not local.
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by Suzie
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04/13/07 05:35 PM
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Tunstall didn't commmit a criminal act by refusing to divulge a confidential source. In journalism, we consider this a badge of honor.
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by Lyn:
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04/12/07 10:10 PM
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Hey Tony...its the TAMPA TRIBUNE that laid them off...you are reading the St. Pete Times!
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by Tony
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04/12/07 08:34 PM
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How nice - first you dump 5 people like it was a major restructuring and then you announce it publicly and print their names to enhance their humiliation. Are all managers today morons?
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by Anthony
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04/12/07 08:04 PM
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Why was it necessarty to divulge a criminal act of someone that happened almost 25 years ago and has no bearing on this story whatsoever. This is why I don't read the Tampa Tribune.
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by Mark
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04/12/07 01:23 PM
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If the editor for years kept five staffers who added zilch to the product, she should be fired. If they DID add to it, then she's lying about "keeping" or "enhancing" anything.
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by Ann
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04/12/07 01:05 PM
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The newspaper wants to keep strong local news coverage and enhance the online product...yet it's cutting staff positions to do so? This is warped thinking that, unfortunately, is becoming prevalent in the newspaper industry.
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by Joshua
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04/12/07 12:29 PM
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I worked with Bob and Judy at the Trib. Both are excellent writers, funny, easy-going. I didn't know Jim, but his good work speaks for itself. Sacking them is ruthless and counter to the Trib's own interests. "Life. Printed Daily?" Not without them.
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