Scott Wyman Leaves Sun-Sentinel
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Scott Wyman, my friend and one of the best reporters at the Sun-Sentinel in recent years, is leaving the newspaper to work as Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom’s aide.
Wyman was covering the City of Fort Lauderdale after a long stint reporting on county government.
It’s a big loss for the Sun-Sentinel and a big gain for Rodstrom.
Wyman, who has been at the newspaper since 2000, is one of the few reporters left with any kind of institutional memory of Broward government and politics.
He was a key part of the award-winning Sun-Sentinel coverage (along with Brittany Wallman and yours truly) of the Florida Presidential Recount and the voting machine fiasco in 2002. He has a big Rolodex of contacts all over Broward.
Personally, as a reader I’m sorry to see him leave. But I believe Wyman made the right move. There is really little future for veteran journalists at the local newspapers, unfortunately.
Here is the Facebook announcement of Wyman’s departure:
“Brittany and Tony report … A familiar name won’t be appearing here at Broward Politics. Our friend and colleague Scott Wyman is leaving the Sun Sentinel. He’s worked at the Sun Sentinel since 2000, covering Broward County and, more recently, the city of Fort Lauderdale. Scott’s going to work for Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom. We’ll miss him and his insights into the crazy political world we report on in Broward County.
October 7th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Yes, he will be missed, just like you were Buddy!!!
We all wish him well.
October 7th, 2011 at 11:50 am
How sad. He was a great reporter, but I understand how uncertain a reporter’s job is at any newspaper today. It is a very smart move of Charlotte Rodstrom. I shall miss reading his reports.
October 7th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Bummer, I was about to get Wyman appointed to Deco Drive on WSVN. Guess I’ll get the Gov to make Charlotte a county commish and her hubby appointed as Sheriff. it’s good to be the king(maker)!
October 7th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Buddy — You make me blush. Thank you so much for the compliments and the advice over the years. This was a good opportunity at a good time.
October 7th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Who will cover Fort Lauderdale now? How can the city be left uncovered with so much important coming up? Can the newspaper send over someone who is not right out of high school?
October 7th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Scott Wyman is a fair, decent, smart journalist who reports the news professionally without trying to sensationalize. He keeps his views to himself and lets the news speak for itself. That’s why people trust Scott’s reporting. He informs in a balanced and reliable way. His work makes people think. Scott is more than a gifted writer, he’s a great guy and I wish him all the best. Excellent choice, Charlotte.
Angelo
October 7th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Well I’ll be damned. No wonder he has been so nice to me lately. Bring Brittany back from the County, back to the City. What’s the pay Buddy, that Comm.Rodstrom is paying him??? Best to you Scott, and see you soon.
October 7th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
His departure is another example of the decline of the local press across our nation. People say the Internet will fill the hole that the press has left, but it really doesn’t. With apologies to you, Buddy, but no one on the Internet fills the hole left by the death of the Sun-Sentinel in Broward.
October 7th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Good luck Scott. I will miss your stories but know that whatever you do you will do great at,
Le
October 7th, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Good luck to Scott. He will be an asset to Charlotte and Fort Lauderdale.
October 7th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
I liked Scott’s reporting. Although I may be wrong I look at political reporters as the community “watch dogs.” To me Scott going to work for Rodstrom is akin to Vic Tobin going to work for Marshall Watson. He covered her beat. Did he fail to report on things as a favor? How long has he had the job offer? Were his writings slanted out of bias? what about during election time?
I’m sorry but this stinks in my mind.
October 8th, 2011 at 10:04 am
DF3 you need to go back further…
With all the corruption and questionable activities going on at the County Commission when Wymann was there he never wrote one article that was hard hitting against the Commission. Who served on the Commission, John Rodstrom. Is Scott a nice guy, yes? but he was get along, go along. That is why Bob Norman is on TV and Scott is fetching latte’s for Charlotte.
FROM BUDDY:
I disagree.
I remember off the top of my head several stories Wyman broke. One was on John Rodstrom (The husband of his new boss)getting bond business for Miami Airport to grow, while arguing against expanding Fort Lauderdale International.
Wyman has a lot of skills. He has so much more to offer than getting latte. I’m sure he can help her with her public outreach, writing speeches and position papers, fashioning legislation, etc.
Also, Right on DF, you misunderstand the function of a daily newspaper beat reporter.
Wyman was responsible for the day-to-day news out of the county commission, which includes covering meetings, explaining the budget and writing about all types of mundane things like parks openings. In addition to that, Wyman filled in on editing and worked weekends reguarly, which the Sun-Sentinel inflicted on all reporters. Bob Norman had none of those responsibilities at the weekly New Times.
Norman was at the New Times essentially a one trick pony, free to do investigative journalism (Although I would argue that much of what masquerades for investigative journalism at the New Times is really opinion.) and nothing else.
As far as working for television, I look at it differently. Television reporters are subject to the whims of ratings and capricious management. Stations are faced with the dramatic changes in viewership and have been hit by the Internet, causing a similar decline the advertising base as newspapers. Young people don’t watch the evening news, just like young people don’t read newspapers.
We don’t know the future of local TV. We know government will always be there.
All that said, TV was a good opportunity for Bob Norman. It’s good to try something new and I hope he thrives at Channel 10. I wish him all the luck in the world.
October 8th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
First of all Comm.Rodstrom won’t have Scott “fetching Lattes.” Then the below the belt comment that Scott basiclly kissed ass to the Rodstroms, no way. We have had many a discussons about the Rodstroms and never did he show either John/Charlotte special treatment. I will say this the saying”pay back is a bitch” keeps playing in my mind. Some of you w/ your nasty comments “STFU,” “Ghost of Whitey Bulger”(girlfiend/companion dropped the dime, not the Feds)all will come out in the wash. So STFU,(RUN)”Ghost Of Whitey”(RUN FASTER) because the cat will soon be out of the bag. I won’t petion Mrs.Rodstrom or Scott but believe you me several other people will. Count on it.
October 8th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Does each Ft Laud commissioner get an aide? Do other cities use aides?
October 8th, 2011 at 10:07 pm
I do want to be clear. To me there is an appearance of impropriety. Not that one actually existed. I just asked questions. I dont think that the Bob Norman comparison is fair. I do wonder if his reports were slanted based on his upcoming career opportunity.
That said, Good luck and Godspeed.
October 9th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Bob Norman had a good run at the New Times but face it, that’s a rag newspaper where Norman had no ethical restraints whatsoever. His stories hit the street like explosive rockets, red hot. But then he was done. No more missles to fire. He past made him radio-active, too hot to handle, nobody would call him anymore. Bob Norman’s rocket fizzled. He had shot his load. So he found a soft, lucrative landing at Channel 10 News. They hoped he’d be an all start with them. But he hasn’t been.
It never lasts for long, Bob. That’s the physics of rocketry.
Norman’s phone still doesn’t ring because people that make news don’t trust him. They can’t. Which explains Bob’s continued, profoundly boring mancrush with Scott Rothstein. He has nothing else to write about, nothing else to hand in to his editors. Nobody will talk to him. He’s constantly borrowing stories from his wife at the Sun Sentinel. And that’s getting noticed too.
It can’t be fun for Bob. At Channel 10 he has ethical limits on they will accept. I’ll bet many of his suggested stories end up rejected or edited so carefully they aren’t news stories anymore. I’ll bet a whole bunch of his ideas get tossed in his editor’s wastepaper basket. You see TV stations actually report news. They are not in the speculation business. Norman has difficulty functioning outside of rag newspaper rules. It’s work.
And all those are the reasons why I believe Bob Norman’s return to the New Times is inevitable. They suck without him and Channel 10 will soon conclude that Bob Norman can only shine in a rag newspaper. Imagine. The same guy that dared to make fun of top notch newscasters through his Times column, when given the chance, can’t even bubble up to shine their shoes.
Advice for Norman’s return to the rag business — be smart and start fresh in another town. Your return in Broward won’t be easy. Too many people have gotten burned standing next to your rocket. It never lasts long Bob, that’s the physics of rocketry.
October 9th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Smart move… my $ on Judy Stern. You wish Norman would go away. At the end of the day he is the only one who ever called out Joe Eggs, Lieberman, Ritter, Keechl and many others questionable antics around here.
October 9th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
@Smart Move
You are an easy read. You are a connected punk ass. Tell me it is not true you have benefited via stealing from Broward taxpayers. But you won’t because you looking to steal more
October 10th, 2011 at 8:56 am
Does the Sun Sentinel want to exist as a newspaper or as a worthless collection of cash for gold ads and press releases rewritten by what passes for reporters? Every change in the paper when there is turnover never makes the paper any better.
-Comical editing where it seems that English is a second language.
-A daily paper where the norm is a decent expose once a month.
-Tribune filler. Today’s paper for example has an article and photo from their Orlando edition. Not the first time where local news is not reported for filler from Orlando.
-Sloppy editing. An article on pediatricians avoiding kids and medicaid has zero factual information on examples of rates causing this, no interviews with elected officials or local doctors about how to correct this and tops it off with an X-ray photo of an adult knee instead of something related to pediatrics.
-Today’s edition has a full page of ads where the columnists usually are while the Sun Sentinel tells readers to go online to find them and read them.
-Business news is usually just a corporate press release rewritten as to not hurt the business’s feelings.
I can’t blame Scott Wyman for leaving since it is just a matter of time till the last reporter just turns out the lights and they just run Tribune copy/paste and cash for gold ads sprinkled with comics.
FROM BUDDY:
As a reader and former reporter/columnist/editor who took a buyout, I can’t argue with anything you wrote above. All I can say is its sad.
October 10th, 2011 at 9:06 am
Buddy — how much do aides at the CC make? I’m quite surprised he would make that move.
FROM BUDDY: He’s at the City of Fort Lauderdale. I’m sure the salary is elastic. I don’t know what Scott will be making.
October 10th, 2011 at 10:38 am
Not connected to government or lobbyists but stand close enough to see what’s going on. Norman is not the only one that has written about corruption in the community and has always been known as having many hidden agendas. His return to rag news is inevitable. He is a failure on TV and no real newspaper will hire him. Grow up and face the facts.