Strike One

Something seemed strange when Thursday's game story about the O's win over the Twins carried the byline "a Baltimore Sun staff writer." Turns out that the anonymous authorship is part of a one-day byline strike.

A guild release says the strikers include "reporters, photographers and other bylined content producers," who are "protesting layoffs and heavy-handed tactics by owner Tribune Co."

The staff members told managers today that they would withhold their bylines to protest last week's layoffs that reduced the staff to 148 employees, "a fraction of what it was in 1999 when the Chicago-based company acquired The Sun, which then boasted a newsroom staff of about 420 employees."

The release noted that some employees last week were fired while they were in the midst of writing and editing stories, including four who were covering a Baltimore Orioles game.