Another Sun-Sentinel Cutback! Long-time Cartoonist Chan Lowe Is Out
BY BUDDY NEVINS
I can’t reprint for you a selection of cartoonist Chan Lowe’s greatest work.
The Sun-Sentinel has them copyrighted.
A lunch buddy of mine for years, Lowe is the latest victim of the cutbacks at the fast diminishing newspaper, according to numerous sources.
Chan Lowe
His sharp wit and pointed observations on events of the day will be missed.
Lowe’s departure this week is a big blow to the paper. As the only cartoonist who commented on Broward events, many told me over the years that Lowe was why they turned to the editorial page.
I don’t remember how long he was at the Sun-Sentinel. It seems forever.
His loss is another major loss of institutional knowledge for the paper.
As word of his layoff spread through the journalism world, one former Sun-Sentinel staffer noted in an e-mail to Browardbeat.com that Lowe’s cartoons are reprinted worldwide: “Chan gives them national exposure.”
The paper obviously doesn’t care.
Lowe was just one of several employees dumped this week. Eight editing and writing positions were eliminated, numerous sources said.
Another, Photo Editor Carl Seibert, also had lengthy experience working in South Florida.
Chan will probably hate me for writing this, but he is the son of Broadway and movie actress Carol Channing. It’s a connection he almost never mentioned.
Something else he didn’t advertise: He is also a fairly accomplished carpenter.
To the end, Lowe work remained a reason to buy the Sun-Sentinel. Those reasons are becoming fewer and fewer.
I’m confident other outlets will continue to print Lowe’s art and that he will do fine without the Sun-Sentinel.
I’m not so confident the Sun-Sentinel will do fine without him.
Lowe’s parting is another reason why the Sun-Sentinel is in a long slide towards irrelevance and eventual oblivion.
January 7th, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Who needs a satirical cartoon when you can just make a Jib Jab video?
Said the same morons who thought Kanye recently gave a leg up to a new performer named Paul McCartney.
Don’t over play it as a loss of institutional knowledge, it is a loss of knowledge.
January 7th, 2015 at 7:01 pm
I adore Chan Lowe, this is the worst news. I will no longer subscribe to the Sun-Sentinel…….
January 7th, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Ironic isn’t a strong enough word to describe today’s events.
Our “local newspaper outlet FIRES one of Americas finest,astute and socially conscious political cartoonists. Maybe the finest, we spoke telephonically and his kindness and gentility lit up the switchboard.
This event is really Nasty.
France lost 4 of the same. tragically Muderered by Gunfire along with 8 other innocent souls. Crazed terrorist brothers and young wheel man did the deed and the hunt is on.
The torch the Statue Liberty holds aloft grew dimmer today. From sea to shining sea.
January 7th, 2015 at 7:22 pm
The SS is overpriced and under “newsed”. Most stories written locally are full of misinformation or not enough information. Local politics are buried. The “elite” group that determines how tax money is spent in Broward is glorified. The new web version is difficult to navigate. Stories and comments fall off into cyberspace before many have read them.
The Miami Herald does a better job of reporting and costs less.
January 7th, 2015 at 7:33 pm
A fast decline I imagine. Who would pay $1.50 for that rag. Yes that is what the cost is for a single buy
January 7th, 2015 at 8:26 pm
Lately his stuff wasn’t funny…it was offensive.
January 7th, 2015 at 9:00 pm
That 10 year old reference really hits the nail on the head. Even people who couldn’t name a single relevant website in 2015 (except browardbeat) have left newspapers behind.
January 7th, 2015 at 10:00 pm
I was so happy to see his cartoon in today’s paper…they had been so few and far between, lately. I wondered if he was retiring.
To find out that the Sun Sentinel laid him off is shocking. I am rethinking my long term subscription.
January 7th, 2015 at 10:35 pm
Whether you agree or disagree with the position of his cartoons they are an iconic original expression of art that cannot be replaced replicated or duplicated. Yes Mr begins it is a loss for the people of fort lauderdale
January 8th, 2015 at 12:41 am
“…Lowe’s parting is another reason why the Sun-Sentinel is in a long slide towards irrelevance and eventual oblivion…..”
news flash Buddy –
s-s already is irrelevant. (Mr. Chan excepted)
sadly reporters and staffers just waiting for the oblivion to permanently turnoff the lights. hoping the investigative types left can find a place that appreciates them.
January 8th, 2015 at 7:12 am
Great timing on the SS’s part: get rid of your political cartoonist just as cartoonists in France are being murdered.
January 8th, 2015 at 7:36 am
Memo to Sun Sentinel:
For the good of Broward County, organize a discussion with people in the county who are actually in TUNE with what residents might actually be looking for from a newspaper.
And then do what they say because, face it.
You’re going down the tubes already.
And through this approach perhaps, just perhaps, Broward and its nearly 2 million people might salvage the only hometown newspaper we’ve got. We sure could use one.
Angelo
January 8th, 2015 at 8:07 am
What a loss. I have been fortunate to have been the lucky bidder at several charity events and own 4 of his original cartoons.
He is witty and bright!
January 8th, 2015 at 8:07 am
What is left of value in the Sun-Sentinel?
January 8th, 2015 at 10:20 am
The only value they have left is the ads.
FROM BUDDY:
Don’t laugh, folks. I saw studies years ago that the ads were a major draw for the Sun-Sentinel. Readers wanted to see what is on sale in various stores.
However, the ad base of the newspaper has declined to such an extent that I wonder if the ads still bring the paper readers. And the quality of many of the ads that remain are very, very downmarket — medical quacks, pawn shops, etc.
Two stories:
(1) I have a close friend who owns a second home he rents in Fort Lauderdale. This friend stopped using the Sun-Sentinel to rent his home because they charged a ridiculously high price and they didn’t deliver like Craigslist.
(2) In the past eight years, I have purchased five new cars/trucks and helped with the purchase of a sixth. I never looked at the newspaper ads. The national Internet was so much easier to use to research and purchase a vehicle.
Does the newspaper still delivers customers like in the past? Not from this house.
January 8th, 2015 at 3:33 pm
the paper seems to have one primary purpose, the headlines the last few weeks or months are either about gay marriage, adoption , lifestyle or what ever, and I might add ” not that theres anything wrong with that” no investigative reporting unless you count the frequent quotes from help me howard, this was a great paper….
January 8th, 2015 at 5:06 pm
Reliably uber-liberal cartoons were a yawn.
Frankly. I never thought that his artwork was really that good.
Perhaps, if he weren’t such a hard left tilt he’d still be there.
January 8th, 2015 at 5:16 pm
My elderly mother is old school that she has to have the physical paper in hand with her coffee every morning. A couple of years ago as the content shrunk she decided it was not worth the price 7 days a week and call them to switch to weekends. She ended up with the weekend rate but still gets the paper 7 days a week. That is how bad they want to keep readers.
January 8th, 2015 at 6:50 pm
As a former Sun-Sentinel reporter I can only say I AM CHAN.
They can’t keep doing this.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:57 pm
Pulitzer Prizes won by the Sun-Sentinel: 1
Pulitzer Prizes won by the Miami Herald: 20
FROM BUDDY:
The Pulitzer Prize never sold one paper. The journalism landscape is littered with defunct papers who won the Pulitzer, such as the Miami News. That said, the Miami Herald has always been a much more serious newspaper.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:04 am
Buddy;
While the S-S withers and dies, you’re prognostication that some slack will be taken up by outlets such as the Broward Beat, Florida Bulldog, Tamarac Talk, and dare I say, MAOS, rings true. As you also indicated, these “alternative sources” struggle to stay financially afloat. All very correct, and all very symptomatic of the same issue — readers on the Internet have come to expect their news for free.
Folks have no clue the cost of producing content. I can’t speak to other outlets, but I’ve never once turned a profit with MAOS, having been, since day one nearly a decade ago, a losing monetary endeavor.
I’ve tried publishing Google Adwords, selling ad space, offering paid content, asking for donations, begging, and everything in between.
All to little success.
Recognizing MAOS will always be a drain, and thankful for my IT consulting business, what little money I receive is turned around and donated to Women In Distress.
In an odd way of a teachable moment, I ask my readers for money to “get their skin in the game.” If you think what I do is important, send along $20… Few do, but yet, year after year, the number of visitors to my blog grows.
I said that, to say this to your readers.
You are somewhat to blame, as your expectation of “free content” has partially led us to where we find ourselves these days.
In my mind, you’re not allowed to be a cheap bastard and bemoan the demise of journalism (professional, amateur, or in my case, rank).
If you think what Buddy, Dan, Sharon or do is easy, try it for a month. Launch a blog, develop stories, stay out of libel jail (well, that’s mostly my issue).
No go ahead, make some content. Have some burn rate. Then do it for free.
See? So quit your bellyaching.
January 9th, 2015 at 11:51 am
SS is/was as relevant as Facebook.
FROM BUDDY:
They wish.
Facebook had a double digit increase in users. It currently has over 1 billion monthly users. Its ad revenue grew 64 percent in the third quarter to roughly $3 billion and had over $800 million in earnings.
January 9th, 2015 at 9:19 pm
@21 Chaz Stevens –
I hope you track all that read your MAoS blog as we do
I know if not for your efforts over last 4++years so much corruption and fraud would be swept under the rug. Wish your blog was set up like buddy’s and to Buddy – wish we could like or thumbs up your write-up and comments.
Those in the know in Broward read and follow both of you.
Sadly we need more of ‘us’ and less of ‘them’,or at least the disinterested and apathetic.
Thank you both.
January 11th, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Terrible decision. What a loss.
January 11th, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Buddy,
It doesn’t seem like you suffer the financial woes of Chaz. Think it could be the contact and style?
FROM BUDDY:
I have other sources of income. I couldn’t survive on this website alone.
January 12th, 2015 at 10:27 am
Buddy and Chaz should combine their sources/resources and make a go of it….at least have lunch and discuss the possibilities…..what fun!!!
THAT I would pay for….
January 12th, 2015 at 12:37 pm
Yeah Buddy, so allegedly does Chaz…rocket scientist and all…
January 12th, 2015 at 3:50 pm
That’s it…I won’t be renewing my Sunday paper subsription.
January 21st, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Chan Lowe’s cartoons have degenerated to offensive. The S-S now is driving the gay agenda, with at least one front-page article daily for the past two weeks about gay marriage, gay adoption, gay travel, etc. I have been a subscriber since 1976 and have cancelled my subscription. I don’t think Lowe is such a great talent, frankly–being offensive is not a particularly sought-after skill. Bluntly, neither is a great loss.