Sun-Times still in trouble, Mariotti or not

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: Sun-Times still in a trap without 'rat' : : Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert—long the Chicago Sun-Times' heart, soul and conscience—hated hated hated the way sports columnist Jay Mariotti bemoaned the state of the newspaper industry in general and the Sun-Times in particular after quitting the paper this week. : In an open letter to Mariotti on the Sun-Times Web site Thursday, Ebert called Jay a "rat" and referenced Mariotti's columns as "1,000 word rants." : Mariotti's abrupt resignation earlier was showcased on the Sun-Times' front page as enticement for new subscribers, with two pages inside dedicated to celebrating the paper's divorce. : One could almost forget in all the hoopla that the paper had signed Mariotti to yet another multiyear contract extension only a few weeks before. Almost. And it would be quite excusable to overlook the pending layoffs at the paper. : Yet in the scheme of things those cuts may prove far more significant than the exit of any one writer, less for their size than the way they're executed. : "I'm really [mad about] the way this thing is going," said Gerald Minkkinen, the Chicago Newspaper Guild's executive director. "We are in the time period within the contract that gives us the opportunity of eliminating or alleviating the effects of the layoff. Why they're going around scaring … people is beyond me." : For one thing, the guild has received word from the Sun-Times that the head count for the chopping block will remain unchanged, despite earlier hopes that shedding Mariotti and his sizable salary might save a few jobs. : Mariotti will count as one of the three columnists, one reporter, one photographer and five editorial assistants the paper plans to let loose unless something changes through talks between the guild and company. : What's particularly troubling to the union is that it sees the paper targeting specific columnists in a bid to make an end run on seniority those writers might have—seniority being one of the core guild priorities. Nevermind that the Sun-Times has one part-time columnist the guild contends should be vulnerable before any full-time columnists get axed. : "It's management's prerogative in terms of what they run as columns or what they don't run as columns, but … seniority must be honored as far as we're concerned," Minkkinen said. "It is our position that seniority prevails in order of layoff, regardless of a column that a person writes or does not write. Are we going to fight over it? I don't know." : A spokeswoman for Sun-Times Media Group declined to comment. : Meanwhile, the paper's kiss-off of Mariotti struck Minkkinen as odd: "I looked at the newspaper this morning and went, 'What the hell?' It was the most ludicrous thing I've seen in my life." : Mariotti called it a "rather comical assault" he wrote off as revenge for his comments about the paper in interviews the day before, noting there was "no shut-up clause" along with the out in his contract. : "You've been selling me out there for years and promoting me, then you turn on me and you expect people to buy it? It's crazy," Mariotti said. "It looked amateurish. … This is like something the White Sox would do." : Responding to Ebert's letter, he said the paper was "pulling out all the stops, obviously." His respect for Ebert notwithstanding, Mariotti said his output over the years should be proof of his loyalty. : Contrary to a rumor repeated here Thursday, he said there's been no contact from Boston about a job to date. But he ruled very little out when it came to his future. : "It's a new world," Mariotti said. "When I was criticizing the Tribsters all through time, you're not those Tribsters anymore. Dennis FitzSimons and that whole crew is gone. Nothing would shock me. I could go to work in Australia. I could go to work down the street. It's a wacky media world. Anything is possible." : That we know. : (ROSENTHAL/trib)

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