Baltimore Sun editor Monty Cook just sent a memo detailing the reorganization to the staff. Last week, Cook boggled Baltimore with a speech at Johns Hopkins University discussing the (even) smaller, more multi-platform news operation he envisions.The Brew wrote about it here..

And now we’ve got today’s staff memo “on the jump”…..

From: Cook, Monty
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 5:00 PM
To: TBS-All News Baltsun

Subject: Announcement on newsroom reorganization

To the staff:

Today, we begin laying the foundation for a new Sun newsroom.

While we publish for multiple platforms, our singular focus will be on news, information and content. Producing and maintaining the best local reporting in the region is our top priority. These changes, and others in the coming weeks and months, will enhance The Sun’s ability to provide greater access to the solid beat reporting, enterprise reporting, the relentless watchdog journalism and personally relevant stories that form our covenant with the Baltimore community. Times may change. How we perform our jobs may change. But our values do not.

Many of you have been cross-trained over the past six weeks, acquiring greater skill sets and understanding about new media. Our current newsroom and interactive staff will form an integrated team with shared multimedia roles. That means reporters, editors, everyone, will have responsibilities across all platforms.

As we unveil the structure in the coming weeks, there will be new titles to reflect not only the new world we work in, but the world of The Baltimore Sun’s audiences who want their news delivered ink on print, the point-and-click of online, or on their Blackberry or iPhone. That means gathering news and information as real-time reporting — whether it is in the form of the quick-hit information of our blogs or the in-depth reporting from our beats — and publishing when those stories are ready.

We will also increase our focus on growing the total audience for Sun stories, photographs, videos and graphics. We’ll do this through creating positions to engage and help aggregate audiences. Everyone has a role to play in creating conversation and forging greater connection and interaction with readers around our stories and content. We want them to select The Sun as the first read among myriad choices they have.

I am announcing these key leadership positions:

Mary Corey, head of print

Mary will oversee the print content produced for The Sun, with the day-to-day responsibility for carrying out the content plan for Page One and all daily, advance and weekend sections. She will also help drive new print strategies and projects that require coordination and training. Mary has spent the past five years as the AME/Features and has been a national correspondent, deputy national editor, lifestyle editor and a features reporter during her 22-year career at The Sun. You know her as a talented editor who understands multiple ways of telling stories and creates sections with voice, energy and flow.

Matthew Baise, head of digital media

Matthew will oversee The Sun’s digital content, primarily on baltimoresun.com and other Baltimore Sun Media Group websites, but also mobile content. Matthew will have day-to-day responsibility for the baltimoresun.com home page and directing the programming of the other BSMG sites. Matthew has been online editor since 2004 and has held virtually every job on the interactive side since joining The Sun in the late 1990s. Over the past year Matthew has helped guide the strategies that have boosted baltimoresun.com to record page views and increased numbers of unique visitors.

Chris Rickett, head of night content & production

Chris will oversee the publication of print edition of The Sun as well as night production, section fronts and evening updates of baltimoresun.com. Chris came to us from The Indianapolis Star, moving from the copy desk to assistant news editor where he oversees the production of The Sun’s weekend editions. He has demonstrated solid news judgment and excellent multitasking skills.

Mary Hartney, director of audience engagement

Mary will manage The Sun’s daily social media efforts and will supervise our new community coordinator positions. Mary and her staff — which we will be naming in the coming weeks — will be working closely with reporters, columnists, editorial and marketing staff, providing training and strategies for making the best use of social media tools for connecting with the communities we serve. She will also help coordinate social media functions for The Morning Call in Allentown. During Mary’s rise at The Sun she has proven herself in every position in short order, from copy editor to night news editor to multimedia editor and then director of breaking news. She has worked with many of you on blogging and understanding many of the social media platforms that are popular with audiences.

These changes will take effect on Monday, April 27. They will be working with deputy managing editors Marcia Myers and Paul Moore as we continue to build through transition. We will be announcing more changes in the coming weeks as we work toward completing the structure for the new Sun newsroom.

Please join me in congratulating Mary, Matthew, Chris and Mary on their new leadership roles.

Monty