trib columnist dan ruth is gone
Eric Deggans is reporting that snarky columnist Dan Ruth has been let go by the Tampa Tribune. It’s just the latest in a string of layoffs of well known writers at the Tribune:
Over the years, staff reductions and voluntary departures have taken some well-known names from the Tribune’s roster, including movie crtic Bob Ross, classical music critic Kurt Loft, political columnist/editorial writer Joe Brown and now Ruth.
Good grief.. So what’s next for Dan Ruth? He don’t know:
“I’m 59 years old and I’ve had a triple bypass…I don’t quite know what my marketability is,” Ruth said. “But I feel like I can walk out of here with my head held high. I did the best job I could as a columnist for as long as I could, and that’s all you can really do.”
Hey Dan – we here in the Sticks will miss reading your witty diatribes…
Dan Ruth is but the most well-known being laid off. Rumors suggest the Tribune canned a dozen folks today.
Update 4:30pm: Tribune (my so called quarter life) writer Daniela Velázquez twitters:
so far we’re minus 16 or 17 and the day isn’t done.
Minutes later, Rich Mullins posted the official word on TBO:
The Tampa Tribune laid off 18 newsroom employees today as the newspaper works to reduce its costs and cope with a worsening advertising economy.
Working at the Tribune is like living Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
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November 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Would Mother Corporate please just sell the Tribune already? They talk about the media center being the crown jewel of the Media General(failure) empire. I hate to break it to them but if this is how they treat part of their crown, they shouldn’t be in this market to begin with.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
20 people laid off thus far
November 10th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Ironically, the Trib is where I learned about SOF. I skipped the middleman and went directly to the source.
Anyway, the Trib lost me when they laid off Joseph Brown.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Well, Daniel Ruth could always do the early retirement thing and start blogging here.
November 10th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Saw a great comment elsewhere where the paper was referred to as the “Sports Tribune” to decry its lack of content of news.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Right on, Ed!! The rest of the paper is just a wrapper for the sports section(s). Today was the last straw. I’ve changed the Trib to Sunday only (my wife insists on getting the Sunday ads..) Expect the Trib to go out of business.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Here’s a couple things to consider:
1. As good a columnist as Dan Ruth is, he is even better on radio. That should be his new gig!
2. Last Wednesday’s Trib came out late because of the Hillsborough vote count fiasco. Nobody cared.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:03 am
The Tribune has become a weekly flyer of sorts similar to what you find as you check out of Publix.
the loss of ruth was the last straw for me as the paper becomes less and less relevant and veers more and more to the right.
tampa truly is a small town dump.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Dan Ruth was the only thing the Trib had going for it. Given the severe decline in the content of that newspaper, Ruth should have given them the heave-ho. I’ve got to think there’s places that will appreciate Ruth’s talent a lot more. Good luck, Dan – we’ll be looking for you!
November 12th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Media General is eviscerating the Trib. I disagreed with Daniel Ruth but he was the most engaging columnist there (with apologies to Steve Otto who is good too).
I agree with Kris, Daniel should have ditched the Trib and found a better venue when the bloodletting began in earnest. May he find a good gig sharing his unique Tampa perspective where he’ll be appreciated.
Damn shame what’s going on down there.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Probably he was let go because of his last colume “We Shall( be) Overcome, With Chumps, Haters” The ultra Right had a fit on this one I bet
November 12th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Has the Trib written ANYTHING about this latest round of terminations?
If so, they buried it. I haven’t seen it.
If they have written something, could someone post a link?
November 13th, 2008 at 7:24 am
[...] with Daniel Ruth, Rosemary Goudreau and Joe Brown, take a look at the name recognition of some of the others no [...]
November 15th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
to be honest… who missed bob? I think his columns here are a joke. who pays someone to give their opinion on movies… is that something that really deserves a “local” perspective? also… I hate to say it, but I’ve lived here my entire life, gotten the trib over the times, and still only recognize 25% of the names… they may be from tampa, but they aren’t the cogs in tampa you say they are… let’s be real.
November 15th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
as Egon said in “Ghostbusters” over 20 years ago, Print is Dead.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I bet Daniel Ruth could start his own blog and with the right promotion he would have enough readers that it would monetize and support him in the lifestyle to which he is accustomed. Heck, for a piece of the action I would help him do it.