Stephen Bailey and Ben Burrows Laid Off

[shandeezy7]

 

[UpstateSM]

Bailey and Whigham should be getting paid to talk football someplace. Preferably Syracuse football. That podcast was fantastic and they play really well off of each other.

 

[MadNY3]

How can you lay off your lead writer for SU football just as the season is beginning? It is really unfair to Stephen. This is not the time to be looking for a job. If you knew you were going to lay him off, why not do it in January, or at least in April or May? If you have to do it, at least give him a chance to find another job.

Stephen was the biggest reason for reading the Syracuse newspapers. Excellent writer who produced an enormous amount of high quality content.

It is a sad day for journalism. It is a sad day for the Syracuse newspapers. I hope Stephen lands on his feet. Would really like to see him stay here and continue to cover SU football.

It seemed like Nate Mink had been moving into more of the lead the past couple months.

Timing is super odd, but guessing higher ups were looking at fourth quarter forecasts and made some moves.

Of course, if we all paid for a subscription, they wouldn’t have to do this!

 

[721Comstock]

Bailey and Whigham should be getting paid to talk football someplace. Preferably Syracuse football. That podcast was fantastic and they play really well off of each other.

I was listening to the most recent one (Pitt preview) on the way into work this am.

Those guys are both knowledgeable, and entertaining.

Here's hoping Bailey lands on his feet quickly, and that we still have a means to hear Julian talk SU Football in some capacity moving forward.

 

[Redrum]

What the ... We ran into him and mink last year at a road game actually winded up eating with them nice young men that sucks I’m gonna call him .

 

[FloridaFan]

Could he go to the athletic to cover SU sports or have his own direct podcast that people subscribe to?

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Could he go to the athletic to cover SU sports or have his own direct podcast that people subscribe to?

Depends if The Athletic wants to have two Cuse beat writers instead of one.

 

[Moontan]

Could he go to the athletic to cover SU sports or have his own direct podcast that people subscribe to?

The Athletic already has Mathew Gutierrez.
Perhaps a competing publication might be interested.

 

[althea]

people want to know things but no one wants to pay for it.

It’s the same mentality with medicine - we want the best in the world ... for free.

 

[TheCusian]

I don’t like anyone losing their job and I’ve been critical of Stephen. Best of things ahead, man.

 

[Chip]

The Athletic already has Mathew Gutierrez.
Perhaps a competing publication might be interested.

What do you guys think of Gutierrez? I can't remember the article now, but there was something he wrote that rubbed me the wrong way (not that wrong way).

Feel bad for Stephen. Nothing worse than losing your job when you're doing a good job. Maybe The Athletic can upgrade (if you guys tell me I can still be mad at Gutierrez).

 

[Bayside44]

Bummer for him, odd timing.

Once all the advertising went away in the papers all this is just a matter of time for many.

 

[CuseOnly]

It seemed like Nate Mink had been moving into more of the lead the past couple months.

Timing is super odd, but guessing higher ups were looking at fourth quarter forecasts and made some moves.

Of course, if we all paid for a subscription, they wouldn’t have to do this!

If they could sell more advertising, they wouldn't have to do this.

They chose to move to a subscription model, the public didn't. That killed their viewership online and their page clicks, which naturally kills advertising.

In any case, I feel bad for Stephen. It seems dumb decisions are made in all industries and it never affects people at the top.

 

[SWC75]

Why get rid of the best one and the only SU grad?

 

[Ozcuse]

If they could sell more advertising, they wouldn't have to do this.

They chose to move to a subscription model, the public didn't. That killed their viewership online and their page clicks, which naturally kills advertising.

In any case, I feel bad for Stephen. It seems dumb decisions are made in all industries and it never affects people at the top.

Technically they’ve always been a subscription model with the physical copy of the paper. They just didn’t move fast enough to capitalize on the subscription model for digital in the earlier days of the internet so people got used to free access plus the prevalence of mobile devices killing newsprint.

IMO I think they should have given everyone a free 3 or 6 month sub (with CC info) as it’s much easier to get people that way and then you forget to unsubscribe/justify the cost because you had it free.

 

[cusefan88]

His old editor, Jason Murray, recently left the PS to work at the Washington Post. Maybe one of the reasons was that he knew this was coming. Maybe he can hire him there. I know those two were pretty tight.

Yup i'm thrilled for Jason. He's an absolutely great guy and great editor.

 

[AAM62]

Man I'm going to miss that podcast

 

[Cusesky8214]

 

[cuse10]

It seemed like something was up when sports stories weren't being posted for more than a day multiple times this week.

It seemed like Nate Mink had been moving into more of the lead the past couple months.

Timing is super odd, but guessing higher ups were looking at fourth quarter forecasts and made some moves.

Of course, if we all paid for a subscription, they wouldn’t have to do this!

It has a lot more to do than subscriptions. Ad revenue is down across the board. Newspapers in the digital age were struggling before COVID hit and no one was buying ad space after. Add to it that local newspapers across the country are being purchased by conglomerates and hedge funds who are in the business of saving money. Everyone here could have bought a subscription and you wouldn't have made a dent in their financial situation. Sports sections are soon going to be substituted by AP summaries of the games.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

That leaves Carlson and Mink, and Axe and Burrows.

Unless Pud is coming back ??!!

Burrows was let go too.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Also rough when you go into work not knowing that it’s your last day. Would’ve been nice had they been given more notice than a few hours.

 

[bigmike]

Notice that today is your last day? Boy that’s cold, but not surprising in today’s day and age. Hope he lands on his feet as I suspect he will.

 

[BurrowsSMG]

Hey folks, I just wanted to stop in and say thank you to everyone who has reached out while I was in sports. I loved covering Syracuse while I could and I'm so sorry it didn't last longer.

 

[cuse10]

Also rough when you go into work not knowing that it’s your last day. Would’ve been nice had they been given more notice than a few hours.

I've been there. Had my morning meeting with execs from our company (Fortune 50) and after my meeting, I get called back into the office and told to hand over my card, laptop because I'm being let go as part as company wide layoffs.. Nothing can prepare you for that even if it's a few hours notice. Had they been told we're ending the role at the end of the month or through the season, everyone involved could have got their acts in order. People are ruthless.

 

[FasterCuse]

I know a couple of executives at Advanced Media Group, and to me they lack a lot of leadership and vision. One of them I wouldn't trust running my lemonade stand, let alone different media groups around the north east.