Nick Piccone
October 30, 2015. A day that will live in journalistic infamy. Two mainstream media platforms are changing forever, with one merging three separate entities into one entity, and the other completely shutting down.
First, there are some big changes on the way for Philly.com, the Inquirer, and the Daily News. According to Philly Mag, Terry Egger, who took over the reigns as the publisher for the Philadelphia Media Network in August, announced this morning that the newsrooms of the three entities, which operated independently of each other despite sharing some of the same type of content, will merge into one, combining teams, and, unfortunately, resulting in the layoffs.
In the past, there’s been reported animosity between the Inquirer and Daily News, and Philly.com was pretty much stuck in the middle of it, as it published content from both publications. Now, that animosity has to whither away for those people if they want to be retained by Stan Wischnowski, the man who will head the new newsroom.
Amy Buckman, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Media Network, issued the following statement:
“In an open meeting with our employees today, PMN Publisher Terry Egger gave an update on the state of our business and some of the key components of our strategic plan, with special emphasis on enhancing content, products and delivery methods, and revenue streams. We had a candid discussion about our plans to move toward a more unified newsroom, while also maintaining the individual products (Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com) and keeping an eye on serving audiences where, when and how they want our award-winning news reports.
“We touched upon the need to reduce expenses, which unfortunately will mean some lost jobs. We are not unique to this economic reality, as evidenced by similar moves in recent weeks by media companies ranging from ESPN, Twitter and multiple newspaper companies. Out of respect for our employees, and in compliance with our contractual obligations, we are not prepared to release additional details at this time.”
As sad as it is for the entity to lay off its employees due to a merger, it makes the most business sense. Carrying three separate staffs for one common goal was not business-friendly. I’m sure those that are affected will find work in no time.
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On a related note, ESPN officially shut down Grantland today in a move that many saw as inevitable after the company and Bill Simmons, the creator of Grantland, parted ways back in May. Simmons wasn’t the only one to leave, as high profile names left soon after.
Effective immediately we are suspending the publication of Grantland. After careful consideration, we have decided to direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe will have a broader and more significant impact across our enterprise.
Grantland distinguished itself with quality writing, smart ideas, original thinking and fun. We are grateful to those who made it so. Bill Simmons was passionately committed to the site and proved to be an outstanding editor with a real eye for talent. Thanks to all the other writers, editors and staff who worked very hard to create content with an identifiable sensibility and consistent intelligence and quality. We also extend our thanks to Chris Connelly who stepped in to help us maintain the site these past five months as he returns to his prior role.
Despite this change, the legacy of smart long-form sports story-telling and innovative short form video content will continue, finding a home on many of our other ESPN platforms.
Grantland had many good writers and articles since its inception in 2011, and it wasn’t just relegated to sports – it included pop culture, as well. Not a good day for journalism at all.