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The Baltimore Sun has eliminated its features section, reassigning some of its renowned writers to other news departments, the Baltimore Sun Guild announced. The decision marks the end of the newspaper’s dedicated culture coverage for the first time since 1888.
The move affects key staff members including Mike Klingaman, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, food and dining reporter Amanda Yeager, and Mary Carole McCauley, who has won nine national feature writing awards at the Sun. Presumably will also affect theater reviews. Though the Sun did not have a theater critic on staff, General Features writer Mary Carole McCauley frequently reviewed local theater.
“The Sun will continue to cover news developments in the arts and food industries, but not the features, exhibit advances and reviews that make up the soul of features reporting,” the guild noted in an announcement on X.
“These draconian measures are demoralizing, but they won’t deter the Baltimore Sun journalists,” the guild stated, adding that eight union reporters have resigned over the past two months, accounting for more than a quarter of the reporting staff. One of these resignations involved a reporter who was fired for speaking out, which the guild says it is challenging. Additionally, the Sun laid off three advertising employees who were represented by the union.
The Baltimore Sun Guild expressed concern for the city’s cultural figures, stating, “We are devastated for the city’s chefs, artists, musicians, and business owners who are no longer considered worthy of coverage by their hometown newspaper – and for readers, who will lose information they can use to decide how to spend their money and time.”
The Baltimore Sun dissolved its features department Monday, reassigning its staff to news departments – the first time since at least 1888 the newspaper won’t have even one reporter dedicated to covering the city’s cultural life. pic.twitter.com/6WAmhFcqdH
— Baltimore Sun Guild ☀️ (@baltsunguild) October 28, 2024
The guild concluded its statement with a call to action for readers: “If the Baltimore Sun isn’t covering culture, it isn’t covering Baltimore. Readers outraged by these decisions can submit a pre-written letter to Baltimore Sun owners David Smith and Armstrong Williams.”
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