Stephen Bailey and Ben Burrows Laid Off

[Jeremy L.]

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.

We appreciate your hard work covering Syracuse sports. I think I can speak for all of us in saying don't be a stranger

 

[reedny]

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.

We will miss your contributions, as your reporting was very entertaining and informative. I hope you keep on writing about SU and get hired back when the economy settles down.

 

[GreekFreak]

The

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.

Very much appreciate your work. Thank you. It’s happened in my family and I understand how tough it can be to lose one’s job. Please keep your head up, things WILL get better.

 

[GoSU96]

local newspapers have always had a low/no margin vanity project aspect to the industry. Best example today is the Washington post

there was Some money to be made when it was the only form of carriage of substance in each locality, but that whole business model has been destroyed and there isn’t enough revenue to support the staff necessary to generate real content and return margin to a non local corporate group

it’s a dying industry, just like Kodak found itself in

unless you have a wealthy benefactor underwriting the whole thing, there’s no business case

 

[orangepassion]

I'm so sorry it didn't last longer.

So are we. Very sorry to hear the news. Best wishes for you to move on to bigger and better and please let us know the good knows when (not if) that happens.

 

[BrooklynCuse]

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.

Same here. I worked for a photo news agency(basically the only one left now). Came in one day and had my manager and GM sitting at my desk asking to go to HR. I knew the deal, that’s how they did it but still takes you by surprise.
I enjoyed Stephen’s writing and thought that he was the only one that asked the coaches semi tough questions

 

[JeffCuse]

This is very disappointing.

 

[weedsportwarriors]

This blows. Like everyone else who has posted here, they are getting rid of the best guys they have. Stupid.
I wonder if Wildhack could/would help with all of the connections he must have from working at ESPN?

 

[Melancer46]

Sucks to see Stephen go. Seems like forever ago now, but he and I almost became roommates together during our freshman year. Great dude; took me a long time to find my footing at SU but he was friendly to me immediately. Really hope he lands on his feet somewhere quickly.

 

[Orijinal]

Really upset by this. Just as upset, if not more, when Donnie Webb was let go.

I wasn't willing to pay a subscription. Felt that local newspapers survived a long time on advertising and selling hard copies of the paper, and should still be doing so.

Syracuse has had some of the strongest support in the nation for local news print. Seemed disingenuous to forgo cutting down on newspaper service to a public that still had a hunger for it. This, on top of the fact that literally everyone wants a subscription for everything now, makes getting another one very difficult for many people.

What bothers me the most is what these corporations make the common man give to their job, only for the common man to be let go when the corporation can't squeeze every ounce of juice out of them.The selfishness, and the self-indulgence of the richest 2% in our country is just disgusting. And I'm a capitalist

Thanks, Stephen. And thanks, Ben

 

[FloridaFan]

This news got even worse with the most recent news. Hopefully both land on their feet with great new jobs!

 

[orange79]

This really sucks. Stephen was one of the best to ever cover the FB team. Add to that the many chats he did for this site (for no compensation other than to talk SU football and share insights with the fans here).

Godspeed, BaileySMG. I know you will land on your feet in a better place. Don't forget your friends and fans here at SyracuseFan.com.

The same goes for you, BurrowsSMG. Best of luck!

 

[HSPORANGE]

Sad because both were great reporters/writers. Hopefully both land on their feet.

Unfortunately, lots of layoffs at some NC papers yesterday too. I know the beat writer for WF sports on the Winston Salem paper was let go and is extra salty. Unfortunately newspapers are slowly dying out and people do not want to pay for the internet subscriptions. I still get the Raleigh N&O Sunday paper delivered but its almost not worth it as its half the size/content that it used to be. Something has to give.

 

[Finwad32]

I was not always a fan of his writing, but, my heart hurts for situations like this. Very disappointed as I believe he took a lot of pride in his job and covered the team objectively.

Summed up pretty well in this thread, it just sucks.

I’m sincerely sorry Stephen, best of luck in all of your future endeavors.

 

[upperdeck]

I have a paper subscription just because there are some stories you would never hear about without some local outlet. But I know very few people at work who even watch the news let alone read about it. then they are upset when something happens and they never hear about it

 

[Atlcuse44]

I don't disagree. It is sad. Growing up, my favorite thing to do was read the Sports section in the daily Post Standard. Front to back.

Life was easier before the tech revolution.

Agree. I remember my Dad and I always fighting over who got to read the Sports page first. That was when the Herald Journal was still around. Life was simpler back then. Technology is not always a good thing.

 

[GoSU96]

Back when Dave Rahme was let go he had a feeler out to gross about being the in-house content lead for Cuse.com.

Obviously that went nowhere

Either the content pays for itself = subscriptions or ad revenue.

The subscription model fails in most cases and ad revenue is nowhere to be found.

 

[reedny]

Back when Dave Rahme was let go he had a feeler out to gross about being the in-house content lead for Cuse.com.

Obviously that went nowhere

Either the content pays for itself = subscriptions or ad revenue.

The subscription model fails in most cases and ad revenue is nowhere to be found.

And this makes absolutely no sense. I find it difficult to believe that people would rather troll garbage on FB (and surrender their personal lives to data harvesters) than read legit. news written by journalists ... for a few bucks a month? Hopefully this settles out and the "market" reconsiders how valuable actual journalism is.

 

[Trueblue25]

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.

Please stay around here.

 

[Steelerswan]

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.

Liked his work, but I am new to the media dynamics locally. Is there young talent ready to roll? Is the .com still the preferred local voice ? Thanks in advance for catching me up

 

[rocklloyd]

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.

Those days suck for everyone involved. The people getting laid off, the people having to do the laying off and even the people who stick around dealing with feelings of guilt while you watch friends and coworkers pack a cardboard box.

 

[texascpa]

When bean counters make the decisions, the content suffers.

I love how us accountants get the blame for every business' problems. lol

 

[sutomcat]

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.

Sorry this happened Ben. Hope this ends up presenting you with a better opportunity. You are a fine writer and you will be missed in this market.

 

[CapitalO]

I don't disagree. It is sad. Growing up, my favorite thing to do was read the Sports section in the daily Post Standard. Front to back.

Life was easier before the tech revolution.

Yes and if it was not in the post standard we waited to read it in the herald journal , and I was a paper boy back then so I would read the sports section before I delivered the paper. Sorry if any of you folks on this board were on my route and you got pissed when your paper came late.

 

[CapitalO]

Thank you very much Stephen for all of the great work you did I really enjoyed your articles and pod cast along with your live questions at the pressers , I have no doubt you find find a job in this field very soon, better days ahead for you young man thanks again.