getting laid off: the first 24 hours

I had just landed at midway airport, excited to visit my girlfriend and enjoy my week with her. My lifelong friends arrive on Friday to Chicago and I can’t help but smile when I think about seeing them and showing them this beautiful city I used to call home.

Immediately after turning off airplane mode, taxiing on the tarmac, my texts started to roll in. I wasn’t expecting texts from my boss and my coworker, asking if he knew what this “mandatory attendance meeting” was about. We never work on Mondays, but I had my work computer in my backpack for when we resumed our schedule on Tuesday on the breaking news desk.

“Not to scare you, but there is a high chance they sold us,” my editor said.

“Oh great.”

The call was at noon Chicago time. I stayed at the airport after grabbing my suitcase. I sat in a chair with my airpods in as I listened to one of the high-ups at G/O Media say they sold Deadspin to some European buyer, even though they weren’t actively shopping us, but they wouldn’t be retaining any of the staff.

I lost my job at baggage claim six at Midway.

I only started four months ago.

As many of my friends and colleagues in this industry know, it is cutthroat. It is hard to find a job. I was so happy to find a job after months of searching. The job hunt wasn’t easy, and I really didn’t feel supported by my graduate program with any assistance, so I was proud that I found this job at Deadspin on my own. I applied on my own, interviewed on my own, and landed the job.

I knew there were countless layoffs occurring in the journalism space. They happen everyday. Everyone I have talked to about being a professional journalist in this day and age mentions the threat. You know it can happen, but you never really think it’s going to be you.

I know everyone has their own thoughts about Deadspin in the sports space. Some hate the site, some are avid readers, some only support Defector, run by the previous Deadspin staff who walked out after G/O purchased it years ago. Regardless of what you think of it’s integrity or its content, I learned a lot and I am proud of what I produced. I am proud of what we as a breaking news team produced. I am sad to see it go, I am sad to be unemployed, but I am optimistic that the people who bought it keep their word on making sure the Deadspin style and voice live on.

After the call, I commuted to my girlfriend’s apartment, we ate lunch, lounged around, got ice cream, cooked dinner and had lots of laughs and silliness in between all that. I was so sad leaving Midway, but so happy once I saw her. Somehow, she made it seem like it will all be okay. Life will go on. A new job and a new opportunity will arise.

My feelings and my thoughts on being laid off will change I’m sure, but after the first 24 hours, I feel weirdly hopeful. Yeah, it sucks and I am sad to be unemployed and I didn’t know my last time in the office on Friday was going to be my last time, but as journalists, we all have to just roll with the punches and play the cards we were dealt. I feel like I need to start applying again and reaching out again, and maybe I should, but I am going to at least try to enjoy my time in Chicago first. The real world can start next week.

Check on your journalist friends, we need your support. Thank you to all who have reached out to me, I feel your love and I thank you so much.

Thank you for reading.

Time for the next chapter.

-Mack