Q&A With Tom Swick, a Travel Editor Let Go

Every week brings more news of layoffs and downsizing in newspaper newsrooms across the United States. This week, one of our favorite travel editors and writers, Tom Swick, learned that his services were no longer desired. For 19 years, Swick edited the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s travel section, publishing an engaging mix of articles, columns and essays. His was among the best travel sections in the country, and Swick was the only newspaper travel editor whose own writing frequently appeared in “The Best American Travel Writing” anthologies. His layoff comes as part of a 20 percent cut in the Sun-Sentinel’s editorial staff. Swick cleared out his desk Tuesday. I chatted with him by phone today.

World Hum: Sorry we’re talking under these circumstances. Were you surprised by the news?

Tom Swick: A little surprised. If this had happened five years ago, I’d be really upset. But I’m not missing out on anything now. The paper and the section I once knew are no longer there.

So how are you feeling?

OK. I think this could be liberating. The wonderful thing about being a writer—and there aren’t that many wonderful things, as you know—is that if you have a job and you lose that job, you can still write. If you’re a banker you can’t do banking at home, but writers can work anywhere. Most people who get laid off feel a loss of identity. But if you’re a writer, you look at your role models, and they are people who do it full time, without being employed by anyone. The only traumatic thing is leaving a place I used to go every day.

Interestingly, I’m the only specialty section editor to be laid off. The fashion editor is still there, and so are the home and garden editors and the food editor. It kind of conforms to what I’ve always said about the travel editor position: It’s the only one of the specialty section positions viewed as requiring no particular expertise. It seems to go along with that idea.

Are they going to continue to publish the travel section?

As far as I know. It still brings in considerable advertising.

When did things start to change for you at the travel section?

Last year. That’s when I was told I wouldn’t have much of a budget for travel and buying freelance stories. Those were my two favorite parts of the job, traveling and developing relationships with writers. Toward the end I really wasn’t buying much. The rare freelance story I bought was about Florida. And my last trips were Florida trips. Before, I was taking about four trips a year: a Florida trip, a trip elsewhere in the U.S., a trip to Europe and to somewhere else, like Asia, South America, the Caribbean.

I didn’t see a farewell blog post from you.

No. My last day was Tuesday. I came back from Australia and found out. I went in, had an exit interview and cleaned out my desk. I regret that I wasn’t able to write a farewell column. It would have been nice to say goodbye to readers.

Yeah, that’s a shame. There’s a lot of talk and hand-wringing over the demise of book review sections, as there should be. But I don’t hear many complaints about shrinking travel sections. What do you make of that?

That’s a really interesting point. The book review is an intellectual section of the paper, and some people feel very strongly about it. Travel has always been seen as a frivolous part of the paper.

Which is sad. So what’s next for you?

I’m working on a book. It’s a memoir, but it’s got elements of travel and some reflections on journalism, as well. I’m also going to try to do some freelance writing.

Well, your writing is always welcome here. Thanks, Tom.

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