Dec 16, 2009

Deadline, Los Angeles Times*

Today is the day for layoffs at the Los Angeles Times. Kevin Roderick at LA Observed reports that notifications started going out this morning - he spotted a Tweet from Calendar writer Elina Shatkin saying she was now a "former Los Angeles Times staff writer."

Roderick also says the Times is trying to woo back Richard Serrano to cover L.A. County for the paper. Serrano used to work in the paper's Washington bureau. He landed at the Las Vegas Sun in August, but was laid off as part of cost-cutting plan.

*Update: A few names are trickling out over at LA Observed. They include: science writer John Johnson, outdoors reporter Pete Thomas, and sports staffer Mark Medina. Roderick continues:
Three photographers and a photo editor got tapped, and at least one books staffer is leaving. I posted yesterday about Elina Shatkin, and earlier about the departures of arts writer Suzanne Muchnic and Jerusalem bureau correspondent Richard Boudreaux. I'm told that, in Orange County, columnist-turned-staff writer Dana Parsons has decided to leave at the end of the year.
**Update II, 12/18: Kevin Roderick at LA Observed adds a few more names to the list of laid off and bought out. LAO

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's going on with the layoffs? It's like a news blackout on the blogs. Pete Thomas, outdoors writer is out. Who are the other 40?

Gary Scott said...

I won't pretend that I have great sources within the Times family. I've updated with some names reported by Kevin Roderick at LA Observed and will try to keep up with links to his updates.

Speaking of which, I've just posted an update.

Anonymous said...

Jesus, no Dana Parsons? OC's fascist-industrial complex just lost its biggest cheerleader.

Anonymous said...

Layoffs are bad news regardless of the time of the year, but a week befor Christmas? How heartless can you be?

Anonymous said...

who are the photographers laid off?

Anonymous said...

aside from layoffs don't forget about employees who are given a choice to resign rather than laid offed.