Frank Sotomayor, A Correction

In a November 27 blog giving the names of some of the people leaving the L.A. Times, either by buyout or layoff, I referred to Frank Sotomayor, who is taking a buyout, as director of the Met Pro program.

This was a mistake. Frank is the deputy director of the program. The director is Efrain Hernandez. My apologies to both.

Frank, who is 62, informs me that the Met Pro program, a two-year training system for minority journalists which has developed such distinguished journalists as Somini Sengupta, Hector Tobar, Ginger Thompson, Henry Chu and others, will continue, despite the present Tribune Co. cutbacks.

Frank is one of many people leaving the Times who, in my view, the paper can ill-afford to lose. He has been with the paper for 35 years, was part of the team that won a Pulitzer for articles on the Latino community, was an invaluable editor in many ways, and was once my own editor. I always greatly appreciated his talents and friendship.

He tells me he plans to seek employment as a teacher on the college level or for a non-profit. But he will return to the Times briefly in February to help with the last workshops for high school journalists under a project started by John Carroll which is being eliminated by the Tribune.

My view is that anyone who would allow Frank Sotomayor out the door needs to have their head examined.