The coronavirus pandemic "almost certainly expedited" the latest round of cuts to SI, but the magazine "officially ceased all pretense of attempting to save its reputation" when new owner The Maven last November cut the title to just 17 annual issues, according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Citing declining revenue from the pandemic, SI late last month laid off 6% of its staff, including writers Chris Ballard and Jack Dickey and editor Sarah Kwak. The loss of Ballard "in particular was telling," as he was "always a beacon of what SI was at its best." His departure is a reminder of what The Maven intends for SI "to be going forward," a "soulless click-chasing content farm" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/5). Washington Post media reporter Ben Strauss noted the latest round of cuts came "on the heels of the third of the staff that was cut a few months ago." Strauss: "If that was a body blow, then this is another limb that comes off the body of it. It's really sad." He said overall it is "just a brutal time for sports media and media in general, as all these ad dollars dry up" ("Sports Media Podcast," 4/2).
NEWSPAPERS HIT HARD: The GLOBE's Finn noted the Boston Herald sports department has taken "another brutal hit in layoffs." After last Thursday's "bloodletting, which included the dismissal of promising Bruins reporter Marisa Ingemi, the Herald's sports department is down to just 10 staffers, all reporters." Sports Editor Justin Pelletier also was let go (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/5). Meanwhile, the San Jose Mercury News Guild Twitter feed on Monday noted that the "entire sports staff" of both the San Jose Mercury News and East Bay Times "are being furloughed" (TWITTER.com, 4/6).
