Another bad day in the print journalism world. The Denver-based Rocky Mountain News announced that tomorrow’s paper will be its last, after something like 150 years of publishing.
I know at least one person who works in that newsroom, former Sun assistant sports editor Chuck Hickey, probably the best sports layout/production person in the history of the Sun. He really made my job easier when he was there.
My condolences to Chuck. (Actually, he can be seen in the main photo at the link, above. That’s him just to the left of the little video camera. He’s leaning on a counter/shelf, wearing what appears to be a golf shirt with a wide gold stripe down the side.)
I don’t know for certain that I have met others on the Rocky staff, but I’m sure I have, and probably worked with a few, as well. Print was such a small world. And it just got smaller.
At the least, Rocky staff should party like it’s 1999, tonight.
Party like it’s The End of an Era. Because it is.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Joseph D'hippolito // Feb 26, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Paul, I also want to give a public shoutout to someone at the RMN who doesn’t read this blog: Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Huhn. I developed a great relationship with him and he was kind enough to let me cover Rapids soccer, Nuggets basketball (against the Clippers in the 2006 NBA playoffs) and a couple of Chargers-Broncos games in San Diego (but all that makes me sound like a “self-promoting stringer,” right, Doug Padilla?). Anyway, may all those who are being laid off gets jobs soon,even in this economy.
2 Brian // Feb 26, 2009 at 10:55 PM
So I learned about this on FB, where I saw a pic of Chuck getting the news. Two words immediately came to mind.
“Job Toasty.”
And then I cried for the first time since 1996.
3 Nick Leyva // Feb 27, 2009 at 8:46 PM
I can’t believe how many people just from our reunion in Las Vegas barely seven months ago have been laid off: Steve, Doug and now Chuck. My prayers go out to all three, three quality journos unceremoniously dumped. I guess it’s just a matter of survival now for anyone who still has a job. Scary stuff!
4 David Lassen // Feb 27, 2009 at 11:47 PM
There are (at least) four former Ventura County Star staffers who were working at the Rocky, and I knew a number of them from Olympics coverage, when the Scripps team sometimes did and sometimes didn’t include Rocky writers. So this really hit home for me — as, of course, did the fact that the Star, like the Rocky, is a Scripps paper.
Another sobering day for anyone in the business.
5 Chuck Hickey // Feb 28, 2009 at 9:02 AM
Brian, that cracked me up. That’s, what, now the 392nd name on the list? Thanks. I needed a laugh this morning.
And Paulo, thanks for the kind words. They mean a lot coming from you. I’ve told you this before, but the foundation I have for what I do I got from you. The approach to stories. Display. Coverage. I have found myself over the years since I left 399 North D St. “What would Paulo do.”
Because, inevitably, it was the right approach.
Thanks again. It means a lot.
I wrote some closing thoughts on sportsjournalists.com if you or anyone else would like to see it. It still hasn’t completely sunk in yet. It probably will on Monday when I don’t go into work.
http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/index.php/topic,67289.msg2346562.html#msg2346562
Chuck
6 Chuck Hickey // Feb 28, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Oh, and yes, that photo was of me and a close friend of mine, Christine Birch Ferrelli. We made the New York Times and other publications as well. Sigh.
7 Tree // Mar 3, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Hey Paul, Chuck, Brian and Nick – all is missing is the UCLA guy who gave me my nickname! I haven’t talked to you all in ages….Some of the best in the biz and you are all in my prayers.
best,
J
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