David Seago Leaving TNT
The 10% reduction in staff announced yesterday by The McClatchy Co. resulted in a bit of surprising news: David Seago is leaving the Tribune.
If you don’t know, Seago has been with the Tribune since 1967, most recently as the Editorial Page Editor. He’s been working on the editorial side of the paper since 1983.
Seago is one of 84 employees that the Tribune will be cutting as part of the McClatchy layoffs (approximately 1,400 nationwide). Another announced departure is Cathy Brewis, the marketing and community relations director. The newsroom will lose 5 employees (and leave 4 empty positions unfilled). The rest of the cuts will come in other departments of the paper.
Big changes … we wish Seago, Brewis, and everyone who will be affected by these lay-offs well.
Link to The News Tribune
Filed under: Developments
15 comments
N NSHDscott June 17, 2008
Is Seago the one who penned the “Sound Transit must build light rail from Tacoma to the airport or else!” editorial a few months ago?
I usually agree with TNT editorials, but that one really ticked me off. Maybe change is good. Regardless, layoffs suck, especially when they involve people with such history in the organization. Seago’s been with them longer than I’ve been alive – wow! But as long as they keep Voelpel and Callaghan, I’m cool.
S Squid June 17, 2008
This is a big loss. You might disagree from time to time with a particular editorial viewpoint, but Dave Seago is just an excellent, mature, editorial journalist. A steady hand.
E Erik B. June 17, 2008
Bummer! Seago was one of my contacts
Mine too. He had a strong interest in having local content in the Tribune.
O onbroadway June 17, 2008
Shoot. Local focus with long-term perspective is impossible to replace. This feels like when MacGougan had to leave eons ago. (I hope that statement is taken as well as I had intended.) I hate to see anyone go, but I have a special fondness to my own contacts and friends there, and hope they are not in the “volunteers” or the 10%.
M morgan June 17, 2008
Was this his choice? While not perfect (who is?) Seago was my preferred editor at the TNT. I liked his perspective on Tacoma and found him to be reasonably balanced. This will be missed.
A annie j June 17, 2008
I would guess that he was offered a buy out and took it. I mean he has been at the TNT for 41 years. I heard they were offering buy outs to a number of long time employees to reduce the number of folks they’d have to layoff.
T Thorax O'Tool June 18, 2008
My dad is one of the 84 unfortunates. After 11 years, only a few weeks warning.
Listen up, Trib/McClatchy:
Obviously the old business methods are failing in this hyper-digital 21st century. The way to survive is the be adaptable to change (cough, Darwin).
Go Local.
It’s not the King County Post-Intelligencer, nor is the Seattle Times the “Paper for the Central Sound” (I know the P-I is kept alive by the JOA, no need to remind me). Yet those papers, while not exactly the NY Times in terms of volume, are still living! They are Seattle Papers. And that’s what they are. Don’t forget that Puyallup and Gig Harbor have their own papers too (owned by the Trib, tho).
Let’s ditch the whole outlying-community appeasement thing. Be the freaking TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE. Go back to your roots, be the community resource you were.
If the paper doesn’t get their asses in gear and adapt, I fear that 84 layoffs is just the beginning.
R RR Anderson June 18, 2008
the PI i might add has one of the last greatest political cartoonists left on the west coast. Mr. David Horsey. Oh yes.
T Thorax O'Tool June 18, 2008
We sure could use a new Thomas Nast this day in age, but I doubt Horsey is up to the challenge.
You know the Trib could help turn themselves around if their political cartoonist would just…. oh wait. What cartoonist?
Care to step up to the plate, RR?
T tressie June 18, 2008
Whoah…old timer…..you remember MacGougan ?? I never liked Seago much…I had many a run-in with him over his dictatorship on the editorial page. He always liked to edit letters to make monkeys outta people and their opinions he didn’t like. He mangled my LAST letter to the Trib so badly, I called the fella, name of Richard… in Steilacoom, who had “answered” me and “my opinion” in the paper about a week later. Richard, the answerer…and I agreed on one thing tho I’m a Democrat and he’s a Repub…..Seago is a bad editor with a mile wide bias towards Seago.
R Roxy June 18, 2008
Thorax O’Tool: The Peninsula Gateway and The (Puyallup) Herald are not owned by the Trib. They’re owned by Olympic Cascade Publishing, which is owned by McClatchy. The Trib handles ads/subscriptions/obits for The Herald, that’s all. It may feel like they own us from time to time, but they don’t. ;)
I’m very sorry to hear so many cuts at the Trib, especially longtimers like Seago. Let’s hope it doesn’t have to happen again in the near future. I think Thorax may be on the right track in encouraging the Trib to stick with the local, though. Regional and national news can be found anywhere online these days.
B brian June 20, 2008
Thank goodness Seago is retiring. This is the same editor who knew about Brame raping a woman prior to him becoming chief of police, hence no due dillgence in his reporting. It was more important for him to protect a cop from Lincoln HS than the citizens of Tacoma. He also wrote an editorial noting how a former MS teacher received a few months in jail for rape. Seago stated she was 14 not 4 as if age mattered when it comes to raping a girl. Clearly this man does not protect woman or children in this community. His words alone does not give me peace of mind for my kids in this town. Don’t be too quick to regard this man as accomplished unless you think protecting women and children is a minor factor in journalism character.
J J. Cote June 20, 2008
I’m sorry to see David go. While I don’t/didn’t agree with everything that he wrote, I certainly appreciated the fact that he wrote what he believed was best for Tacoma.
I wouldn’t have missed Voepel and his constant desire to kiss the butt of anybody that sits on the City Council or Port of Tacoma.
You will be missed, David. All the best to you and your family.
K Kris June 21, 2008
Seago should have been gone years ago!!! I agree with B that he protected Brame to the end and only when the Feds got involved did the canary sing. He is no friend of women against violence. Ask a member or the Judson family. He protected Brame, writes an editorial about a rape of a 14 yr old girl (say what?) protects school board members who hire sex offenders (say what?). How many more examples does one need to divulge why this guy is no friend of women or children. Remember Crystal Judson who died from a cop who was not vetted by dear Seago. Kris
R RR Anderson June 22, 2008
is David Brame technically a cop killer?