The beginning of NFL training camps is a significant period for beat reporters who follow teams across the league, offering fans at home a wealth of information about the top players during the hot summer months. However, for Bears beat reporter Sean Hammond, this year’s camp has a bitter twist — his role atThe Chicago Tribunewas severed before it had a chance to truly start.
Hammond, who has reported on Chicago sports since 2020 — including time at Shaw Media newspapers and theDaily Herald — joined the Tribune in March, securing what he referred to as a “dream job” reporting on the Bears in his home town.
Unfortunately, Hammond’s time at theTribuneconcluded suddenly on Thursday, when the outlet revealed staff cuts impacting approximately 10 percent of its editorial team, as initially reported by theChicago Tribune Guild on X.
Hammond verified the information on Friday through his personal X account, thanking for the chance even though it was brief.
Four months following my dream job covering the Bears in my hometown, the Chicago Tribune told me yesterday that my role has been eliminated,” Hammond wrote on X. “I am proud of the work I accomplished and thankful to everyone who supported me throughout the journey.
The cuts appear to have been anticipated for weeks. In June, theTribuneprovided buyouts to newsroom employees,only long-time investigative reporter Ray Long accepting, preparing for retirement, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
What comes next for Hammond is still unclear. On social media, he has made it evident that he is now searching for his next challenge.
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