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I finally get to do the SOME PERSONAL NEWS bit: After more than seven years with the Carroll County Times or its associated weeklies, I will be joining Chemical Watch starting June 1 as their North America reporter. 1/
I'll still be freelancing — editors, if I owe you something, it’s still coming! — with at least one freelance project to complete for the Carroll County Times, but I'm excited to dig into the chemical regulations beat. 2/
I've also worked with some incredible people in the Baltimore Sun Group and I'm sad to leave them behind at what is a crazy time for local news, especially after all the hard work and progress made by the @ChesapeakeGuild, of which I am proud to have been a part. 3/
I’m also aware that the mediascape is a layoff blood bath right now and there are so, so many good writers and editors out there who have been laid off and I know I am privileged to be able to make this announcement today — solidarity with all of you! 4/
I never expected to become a newspaper journalist — I was just a failed electrician/salesman/scientist/wine guy who needed a job and thought a writing gig could be cool and had a friend who pulled him in (thanks @BerrierKevin!) 5/
But I’ve come to see the incredible importance of local news outlets for communities & the distinct value of local people covering communities where they live — it’s an entirely different beast than large media companies overall. We’re profitable even when they are not. 6/
If you care about quality news in your community, and if you're in Carroll County, this matters. When I started in 2012, there were nine reporters in the newsroom, already lean for a daily and three weeklies. Once I leave there will be three. 7/
There’s nobody else but a local paper going to immortalize your kid’s magic sports moment the night they play up on varsity, out a corrupt local official, eulogize a late beloved one or profile the candidates for BOE and orphan’s court. 8/
Our parent company @tribupub had already made it clear that ensuring that sort of coverage was not a priority before the pandemic, making multi-million dollar dividend payouts while cutting staff through buy outs. 9/
And that was before Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund that decimated dozens of papers, including the Denver Post, began their takeover of Tribune: https://tinyurl.com/y7bsot8l 10/
And THAT was before the pandemic, which has collapsed ad revenue across the board, leading to furloughs and pay cuts across Tribune. Paycuts are permanent, while dividend payments only suspended temporarily: https://dfmworkers.org/aldens-allies-elected-to-tribunes-board/ 11/
The Sun’s health reporter is currently on furlough … during a pandemic. The Carroll County Times health reporter, me, is on his way out the door because he just couldn’t afford to work for a net $338 a week anymore. https://twitter.com/pwoodreporter/status/1264936434416398336 12/
So as a parting word, I'd like to ask readers that care to support the Carroll County Times & not just by subscribing, though you should also do that, as news isn't free to produce: https://tinyurl.com/y7g3qtey 13/
There is currently a campaign underway — Save Our Sun — to convince Tribune to sell The Baltimore Sun, Annapolis Capital, Carroll County Times and other Sun group papers to local ownership that will then take them nonprofit: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-abell-tribune-sale-20200521-vs5hyju4dnfilp2q6fd277nnmu-story.html 14/
So far Tribune, and no doubt Alden’s two board members, have not been interested in making that deal. Consider emailing Tribune CEO Terry Jimenez & letting him know how you feel about that: terry.jimenez@tribpub.com. 15/
Keep the Sun around and well staffed so they can continue doing Pulitzer prize winning investigations, like the one that brought down former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh over the “Healthy Holly” scandal: https://tinyurl.com/y9td88r2 16/
And keep the Carroll County Times in Carroll, covering local news with local people. What follows are some of the stories I’ve been proud to work on over the years, many of which would never have come to fruition were I not a local who grew up here and lives here today. 17/
This is a terribly sad story that began as a missing persons case connected to a murder and has expanded into a double murder with four arrests & possibly more to come as the FBI investigates. Only possible due to local connections: https://tinyurl.com/y8m7r73m 18/
I wrote about Johns Hopkins and LifeBridge Health studying the use of convalescent plasma therapy — a blood product taken from those who have recovered from COVID-19 — as a treatment and prophylactic: https://tinyurl.com/ya96ql3l 19/
I investigated a tragic death in the Carroll County Detention Center: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-inmate-death-investigation-20200211-75ujwife3ndt5jq7d27q5odowi-story.html#nt=outfit 20/
I was on the ground taking photos and interviews moments after a tornado swept through downtown Westminster in February: https://tinyurl.com/yb7e7rka 21/
I looked into the incompatibility of county and state laws regarding drones: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-maryland-drone-jurisprudence-20200205-2pye4t5thrfdpgam46ti76f7eu-story.html#nt=outfit 22/
@dylanslagle and I explored a former nuclear anti-aircraft missile battery in Granite: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-nike-missile-cap-20191208-gnpb5ilh7jbl7kwytdra7fqbf4-story.html 23/
Do you have a right to pen smutty letters to an inmate? I checked into it: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-sexy-missives-jail-20191121-ufhnmpj2yjddrl3xx4zwsmqwcm-story.html 24/
I profiled public servant Steve Miller, of Manchester, the type of recognition of municipal officials only local news will bring you: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-steve-miller-40-years-20191021-qzuv2hqaejgpbgrqvwpetlfthq-story.html#nt=outfit 25/
I wrote a lot about opioids over the years, including Carroll County suing the Sacklers et al: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-carroll-opioid-lawsuit-20191008-vzjgv5dgfjgxzazwcax424b2lq-story.html 26/
Look, when a Ruby Tuesdays closes in a small town, during dinner, it’s a big deal: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-ruby-tuesday-closed-20190917-zie4tb3ajngc7glkqwjjl2jqse-story.html 27/
Got to quote the sheriff saying he will kiss your ass if you can show him a Walmart that’s not a problem for police: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/crime/cc-walmart-robbery-eldersburg-20190809-obh24cgphrel7nbavxkf2grujq-story.html 28/
Local meats, local business, local coverage: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-bullocks-butcher-shop-20190307-story.html 29/
Eid-al-Adha in rural Carroll County: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/cc-eid-ul-adha-20180820-story.html 30/
Gerald Fischman wielded wit and pen in Carroll for years before his life was taken by the murderer who stormed into the Capital gazette: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/cc-obit-fischman-20180629-story.html 31/
Carroll County was once home to Preakness record Holder WyndhamWalden: https://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/cc-walden-wyndham-preakness-20180516-story.html 32/
As a high school student nearby in the 90s, I could never have predicted Taneytown would become home to a medical cannabis grow facility: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/taneytown/cc-carroll-cannabis-grows-20180106-story.html 33/
The Chester Cafe opened in Manchester as a safe place for teens to hang out — you’re getting the local coverage thing here right? https://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/neighborhoods/cc-nh-ugly-sweater-cafe-20171220-story.html 34/
I profiled a young man’s heroic battle with a rare, neurodegenerative illness: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/health/ph-cc-gregs-challenge-20160227-story.html 35/
And back in my weekly days, I showed how international scammers went after a Hampstead senior: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/cct-arc-d8f98ba6-fe37-5c2b-a280-9f8de8125d55-20130917-story.html 36/
Anyway, it's been a blast and I know my very talented colleagues will keep covering the community. I hope you, the community will support them. Tell Terry to sell and Save the Sun! 37/37
