Orlando Sentinel lays off Nicole Bogdas
And it’s the second time in a year she’s lost a job. So the upside — if there is one — is that Nicole knows how to deal with this.
Nicole Bogdas is one of the most helpful, friendliest, supportive people you’ll ever meet in Visual Journalism.
Example: I recently got shot down for a job I had very much hoped for. Once Nicole heard about it, she checked in with me — literally every day, for several days in a row — just to see how I was doing and if there was anything she could do to help.
One day I slept in late and didn’t answer her e-mail right away. She called my cell number.
Nicole was, in fact, the single biggest contributor to the big layoff survival guide we published here in the blog a while back. An updated version of this story will also appear in the next issue of SND/Design magazine. The piece wouldn’t exist — or, at least, it wouldn’t be nearly as useful — without Nicole’s contributions.
Nicole joined the Orlando Sentinel last June. She played a key role in the launch and day-to-day design of the much-discussed redesign of the Sentinel last summer.
A native of the Chicago area and a product of the University of Missouri, Nicole has worked for the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, the Palm Beach Post and the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The Post Dispatch let her go one year ago next Thursday, if I’m not mistaken.
Our collection of her work is woefully outdated. A few samples, though:
She’s won a large number of SND awards, including a huge gold one for her handling of this extraordinary photo report a few years back at the Palm Beach Post.
Find her online portfolio at Flickr.
Nicole is an original thinker and a brilliant, brilliant visual journalist. And she’s a real bulldog when it comes to accomplishing a task. We’d like to think there just has to be someone out there who needs a force of nature like Nicole.
April 10th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Wait, a Tribune paper laid off a talented employee? NO WAY.
Just a thought — STOP HIRING PEOPLE IF YOU THINK THERE IS A CHANCE THEIR JOB WON’T EXIST 11 MONTHS LATER.
April 10th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Here for ya if ya need anything, friend. Soon, we’ll *all* be outsourced.
April 10th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Harrison, you make me laugh. Thanks for the kind words, Jim. And especially, thank YOU, Charles for this very flattering write-up. I’m not the only one who’s going to be let go in the next week at the Orlando Sentinel, or in the entire newspaper world, of course, and my thoughts are with my former collegues and newspaper friends.
April 10th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I got home this morning to find both this and the news about the AJC and it was just a kick to the teeth. Whatever you need, Nicole, don’t hesitate to give a holler!
April 11th, 2009 at 12:03 am
Nicole, I was disappointed when I learned of your layoff. There has to be greener pastures out there for all of us displaced journalists, and I’m sure it’s not selling cars, waiting tables, digging ditches, making donuts or pushing things around.
If you’d like to commiserate over margueritas, you’re always welcome in Clearwater!
April 11th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Nicole, sorry to hear about your departure and the start of layoffs at the Orlando Sentinel.
You’ve had some really bad luck since leaving the Sun Sentinel.
There is a place in communications for someone of your skills and creativity. A few months ago I would have written “newspapers,” but I’m afraid, for most of us, our days are numbered.
April 11th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Charles, you forgot to add that she’s also got the world’s best newspaper tattoo. Tough news.
Tried to find it in the old VizEds site but only got this text file — http://www.visualeditors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?download=-1&t=6660
April 11th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
So sorry to hear the news.
Nicole, I’ve admired your pages from a few newspapers over the years, and I’m confident I’ll admire more from another newspaper that values talent. Chin up, killer.
April 12th, 2009 at 4:04 am
I’m so sad to read this news. Nicole, you have always been a fantastic source of inspiration and advice for me. You don’t deserve this and I know you will come out on top. For all the things you have done for me over the past couple years, please let me know if there is any way I can help you.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Nicole Bogdas rocks. She has been extremely supportive of me since I met her on her first day while I was an intern with the Sentinel. Nicole has always gone out of her way to help me, whether it be with journalism adivce or a quick-key question in CCI (even when I’m in Chicago and she’s in Orlando). It makes me really upset to see her, as well as several other fantastic visual journalists, be laid off.
April 16th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
This SUCKS! I hope you land on your feet quickly!
April 21st, 2009 at 1:59 am
ARGH! I’m catching up to old news after wedding/honeymoon blitz.
I’m so sorry to hear this, but as usual, I have all the faith in the world that someone great will snap you up. Hey, btw, it’s getting warm in Chicago again …. :)
xoxox,
mar