Ben Jones didn’t waste any time finding a Plan B when his career suffered a setback this week.
The longtime Penn State beat reporter with StateCollege.com announced Thursday he’d been laid off after 13 years on the job.
“Yesterday marked my last official day at @StateCollegecom after being there since 2011,” Jones posted on X. “Didn’t end how I would have liked, which I suppose is how it goes when you get let go, but glad to be bouncing back with an announcement tomorrow.”
Friday, Jones announced he’s launched a Substack where he’ll continue covering the Penn State beat.
“Excited to announce I won’t be leaving the Penn State athletics beat just yet,” Jones posted. “Been around too long, have too many stories left to tell. Taking a chance on myself and the stories that interest me. No content farm, just the stuff I want to write.”
Excited to announce I won’t be leaving the Penn State athletics beat just yet. Been around too long, have too many stories left to tell. Taking a chance on myself and the stories that interest me. No content farm, just the stuff I want to write. Subscribe: https://t.co/kHTfe38pim
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) August 2, 2024
Jones already had the Substack operational Friday morning.
The longtime Nittany Lions reporter earned praise soon after joining that beat for his extensive coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal that rocked the athletic program in 2011. Jones’ sports media colleagues seem confident he’ll bring the same tenacity to his new venture.
Big loss for them. All the best in your new challenge.
— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) August 2, 2024
Glad to hear about the coming bounce back, Ben — and not surprised.
— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) August 1, 2024
Hey man loved all your work over the years. Looking forward to seeing where you end up next! Go State.
— Matthew Lownes (@LownesMatthew) August 1, 2024
