Michael Smart, a staff photographer at the Elgin Courier-News since 1988, was one of 28 Sun-Times photographers laid off on Thursday, according to the Daily Herald.
Smart of Huntley told the Daily Herald the photographers were called to a 9:30 a.m. meeting in Chicago on Thursday where managing Editor Jim Kirk told those affected that the newspaper was moving in a new direction and had decided to cut the photography staff, according to the article.
The Chicago Sun-Times did keep on two members of its photography department and plans to use freelance photographers when needed, according to the Chicago Business Journal. Otherwise, the media group plans to have reporters add video to some of their articles in the hopes of offering more digital components, according to the article.
In a statement from the newspaper, the decision came in part because the Chicago Sun-Times audience was looking for more video content, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The lay-offs affected photographers and photo editors at Sun-Times publications in the suburbs as well, according to the Associated Press.
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