Wow.
I am still speechless.
Three days ago—on Friday—the staff of the Sports Illustrated magazine were notified they were being laid off, and the magazine is shutting down.
According to reports I have read online, the magazine’s publisher (the Arena Group) announced that even though the print product is going away, there will still be some online presence.
I recall photographing sporting events at Indiana University next to the staff photographers or freelance photographers for Sports Illustrated. As a student photojournalist covering athletics every week, I turned to the magazine routinely to seek inspiration from the international events covered every week.
Their coverage of the Olympic games was always second to none. The skills showcased by the photographers were what I aspired to grow into. As for the writers, they could weave stories together and tell tales no one else could envision.
It truly shows how fragile journalism has become in recent years. These once untouchable publications are fighting for advertising dollars and increasing expenditures, forcing changes to business models and, all too often, shutting doors.
As a former subscriber to the magazine, I will mourn this loss professionally. And I will say a little prayer for those impacted by the layoff.
