Please allow me to make this, my inaugural City Desk blog post, an introduction of sorts.

I come to you via reporting stints both near and far. Looking back, I’d have to say the highlight of my first journalism job, in 1995, was the time I asked a Prince George’s County public information officer out of gruff-cop central casting for an update on the condition of a homicide victim ("She's still dead!" he laughed, and then said it again for good measure, causing me to turn a shade of purple I have tried very hard to avoid since.).

At The Hill, writing a feature for a special retail section, I once cornered Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to find out where he shopped for bargains – seriously, I asked him that – and I was scolded and scorned, right there in the House of Representatives’ Speaker's Lobby (I am afraid of Barney Frank to this day).

At the Baltimore Sun, I wrote about public education, public health, the D.C. area sniper – remember that? – the U.S. Potato Board and, one time, myths about George Washington's false teeth. As the Sun’s Moscow bureau chief, yes, I got to go inside the Kremlin, but the best thing I did was leave one of my now-deceased cat Alphabet’s hairs inside Lenin’s tomb.

For the last year and a half, I have been reporting not on your Washington, but the other Washington. You know, the federal Washington, the Big Important Washington, the Washington which, if I were a bolder person, I would confess right here and now to hating at least half the time, probably more. But I enthusiastically embrace the switch – this is the Washington where real life goes on, after all – and what better time to come aboard? A journalist friend said the other day of this city's fine Ward 8 councilman, Marion Barry, whose most recent exploits have been cataloged by City Paper better than anywhere: "Barry is the news gift that never stops giving."

Look for the latest on City Desk and in tomorrow's print edition.

Off to do some journalism now...

Wire creator, former Sun staffer, and the most reliable of Tribune's management's critics, David Simon, fired off some choice thoughts on the cutbacks on Facebook:

[I am] revulsed at what has happened at the Baltimore Sun this week. i really don’t know who Monty Cook is or what he stands for as the editor in chief, but before I asked the likes of Ann LoLordo or Eileen Canzian to leave the building — people who given their working lives to that institution — I would scratch together enough integrity to refuse and be fired my ownself.

It’s almost unfathomable. The Baltimore newspaper’s only plan is slow suicide, with Chicago leeching the last nickels and dimes even to the moment when they shutter the doors. Never has an industry so willingly butchered itself or shown its own product such contempt. (Via Baltimore Brew)

I would abridge it and comment on it, but it speaks too majestically for itself:

As Bob's email indicates, we are entering into a new era of cooperation with the Baltimore Sun hat will allow us access to some of their content. While this is an important accord, in actuality we are unlikely to use it very often because our newshole, like that of the restof the newsroom, will shrink next year. As some of you have heard, our Orioles coverage has fallen victim to the budget knife and this agreement allows us to use the Sun's Orioles copy. But we'd be more likely to use the AP because we won't have room for a long Orioles gamer by the Sun. Another
one of our budget cuts, our local horse racing coverage, is in a similar position. It is also important to remember that we will we will continue to have fight-to-the-death competition between the papers on the all-important University of Maryland beat. And we have no plans to share content on the Anne Arundel and Howard high school sports fronts for the moment either.

We are planning a staff meeting to discuss these and other changes as we continue our evolution through these turbulent times. But we'll do that in early January. For now let's focus on everyone having a happy holiday, or as happy as it can be for those headed to Boise.

Here's the release on the matter:

WASHINGTON, D.C. / BALTIMORE, MD —December 23, 2008—The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun today announced that effective January 1, 2009 they will share selected stories, photos and news content with each other in order to better serve readers of both newspapers.

The Post and The Sun have agreed to share the newspapers’ day-to-day coverage of certain Maryland news and sports. In addition, The Post and The Sun may draw on each other's national, international and feature stories that are distributed by the LAT-WP News Service, to which both contribute. The exchanges will allow each paper to take advantage of the other’s strengths and expertise in specific subjects around the region and the world.

“We have great respect for The Baltimore Sun’s reporting and believe adding their expertise to our regional coverage will be very beneficial to our readers,” said Marcus Brauchli, Executive Editor, The Washington Post.

"The Washington Post is one of America's most respected news organizations, and adding its award-winning coverage of the federal government and national affairs to The Sun's pages will help make our paper even more relevant and comprehensive for readers," said Timothy A. Franklin, the editor of The Baltimore Sun.

J. Montgomery (Monty) Cook, who was named yesterday to take over Franklin’s position as Editor and Senior Vice President of The Baltimore Sun at the beginning of 2009, said, “Having worked in both newsrooms, I can say that this agreement makes readers of The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post the real winners. There's never been a more important time to provide greater access to quality reporting and writing to our readers and online audience."

As part of this accord, exclusive stories will not usually be shared, nor will coverage of such competitive subjects as Maryland state government and University of Maryland athletics.