Last week, we reported on the Chronicle’s intent to lay off five percent of its workforce. Now, Houstoned tells us just who is getting the axe:
Among the familiar names taking the buyouts are Louis B. Parks of the features section and Salatheia Bryant and Melanie Markley of the news side.
Among those leaving in a less voluntary manner are Steve McVicker, the former Houston Press reporter who’s been bird-dogging the HPD crime-lab scandal, and Thomas Korosec, the former Dallas Observer reporter who has been the Chron’s Dallas bureau.
Banjo Jones has more names:
Andrew Guy (features), Judy Minshew (editorial), Valarie White (business secretary), Bruce Westbrook (features) and Patty Reinert in Washington, we’re told.
REDACTED PER CORRECTION FROM BANJO JONES; PLEASE SEE UPDATE BELOW
Layoffs have been a regular event at Houston’s Bleeding Information Source, with a 10 percent cut in 2004 and a 7 percent cut in 2005,
But hey, look at the bright side. Chronicle editor Jeff Cohen has his handicap down to a 9. Nice shooting, Jeff!
[Hat-tip: blogHOUSTON]
UPDATED– Banjo Jones has issued a correction to his earlier post, which we reproduce below in full:
Bruce Westbrook has contacted us to say we were wrong in reporting he’s gonna sue the Houston Chronicle for alleged age discrimination. We regret the error and at his request have edited any mention of him off the incorrect post that went out earlier today and which, unfortunately, was picked up by a Web site frequented by many, many journalists around the country, as well as a few other Web outlets.
We’re sorry.
All we can say is the person who relayed the erroneous information to us gave us some bum info.
Our apologies to Mr. Westbrook. Good luck to you, sir.
From us here at LST as well.
Filed Under Uncategorized ·
Comments
19 Responses to “Chron layoffs hit news, features, editorial areas”Search
Our Sponsors
Poll
Loading ...LST Book Club
-
Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy
by Natan Sharansky -
Fear No Evil
by Natan Sharansky -
The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror
by Anatoly Shcharansky -
The Jewish State: The Struggle for Israel's Soul
by Yoram Hazony -
Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There
by David Brooks -
Snobbery: The American Version
by Joseph Epstein -
A Conflict of Visions: Idealogical Origins of Political Struggles
by Thomas Sowell
“Bleeding” information source.
Damn, that’s cold.
Funny, but cold.
Don’t they get all their “big” stories from Reuters and UPI anyway? They could hire some junior college kids and pay them peanuts to cover the local stuff anyway.
Driveway spam…..
I wish they’d quit throwing the free ones in my driveway. I should throw it back into the street. Or hide in the bushes and wait on the driver and chuck it at his car….
They’ll be in tabloid format in a few years.
(If their presses can be set up to do it.)
4
Chronicle’s new format in a few years?
http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/
Pleased to hear of Jeff’s handicap.
Way ta go, Jeff!
(Uh, last post dripping with sarcasm, btw…)
I notice that all the departures are reporters and such, not one person in management got the ax. Imagine that!
#3 - you can try what has worked (so far) for me……..I called the circulation department and presented them with 2 options:
1. CEASE and DESIST throwing their paper in my yard in random fashion
2. provide me with a valid billing address so I can INVOICE them for litter pick up.
so far no more “driveway spam”
Looks like Hearst’s idea of making the Houston Chronicle another New York Post is finally working out. They are both losing circulation, readership, ad revenue and editorial respectability from the audience it claims to represent. Those carpet baggers just don’t know us Texans and apparently don’t want to…they will do it their way come hell or high water. Sorry for all those folks losing their jobs just as the holidays are starting. I suspect there will be more in the times to come. Now would be a good time for those still there to start looking.
Oops. Intended to compare to the New York TIMES, from where the Chron gets most of their stories anyway. Appologies to the Post.
So right #8. The first to go are always the grunts. I wonder, if the entire Comical bunch were laid off, would anyone notice?
They should just fire everybody and reprint the Daily Kos. Except for the improvement in spelling, I’d bet nobody could tell the diference.
I would never mock anyone losing their job as I have been through that in a buyout and it’s ugly. However this paper is so bad and socialistic in its views and it seems to make no difference as they spiral down the drain.
It’s really too bad that the Houston Chronicle abandoned the concept of selling newspapers to focus on selling advertising. It’s left leaning agenda and bias as well as the tanking of good stories that don’t fit it’s political mold; using the front page to editorialize; and just being plain wrong and stupid has left most of the buying public to go elsewhere for news.
People need a reason to buy a newspaper but the Chronicle is stubbornly refusing to cater to its audience.
The television networks are in the same boat. The quality of programming is junk and people are using their time for other activities.
BTW: the Hearst Corp. is making money hand over fist from what I hear (from an employee). The layoffs are probably to shore up it’s bottom line. They are also consolidating a lot of redundant functions such as IT into Houston and other locations. Our “local” newspaper is really a nationwide one with a local facade.
all they do is put good Dem stories on pg1 and good re pub stories on pg99 in fine print. why the heck read a paper like that.
i don’t want to walk the streets of this city with a left lean going down the street. a little fairer placement of your reporting might get more subscribers!!
Even their coupons suck….
It doesn’t matter what you think of the Chronicle or its employees..it hurts anyone who is laid off.