Sports columnist David Aldridge, hit by layoffs at the Philadelphia Inquirer a year ago, then reinstated after protests that a disproportionate number of journalists of color were affected, is leaving the paper, he told colleagues last week on Thursday.
“I'm just tired,” Aldridge told Richard Prince’s Journal-isms. “I've been full-time with the Inquirer and Turner since the fall of '04 and it's been a grind,” referring to Turner Network Television. “I really enjoyed my time in Philly and I've come to really respect the fans there, who only want to win. I don't have anything else lined up other than continuing to work with TNT, which continues to be an excellent place to be.”
Aldridge becomes the third black columnist to leave the Inquirer sports department recently, following Stephen A. Smith, who was reassigned to be a reporter and instead left the paper, and Claire Smith, assistant sports editor and baseball columnist, who went to ESPN.
Sports editor Jim Cohen said in a memo, “David Aldridge will be leaving The Inquirer after next week. As many of you know, David has been juggling responsibilities for The Inquirer and a television network for a number of years, and that has become untenable for him. We will miss him for his reporting, maturity and professionalism. As someone who has worked with David in newspapers and television, I have always appreciated his dedication to doing journalism the right way, regardless of the medium and of the industry trends. At this time, David plans to devote his full attention to television. We wish David and his family well.”
Cohen told Journal-isms on Friday, “I feel very strongly that diversity is very important to our newspaper and our readers. I am committed to making us more diverse. I understand that actions speak louder than words, and I hope our actions in the future will speak positively for themselves.”
In January 2007, Aldridge was one of 71 members of the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia in the Inquirer newsroom who were notified that they would be laid off. After further negotiations between the Guild and management, he was reinstated.
-By Richard Prince’s Journal-isms
1 comment:
With the departure of Aldridge, Smith and Claire - who were outstanding columnists and certainly brought a sense of quality and respect to the paper's sports section - does anyone know who is taking their place? How many black sports columnists does the Inquirer have now? Feedback, please.
Mustafa 75
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