The massacre of the Palm Beach Post's newsroom is slowly coming into focus. As of Friday, 81 staffers had accepted the buyout, according to sources, though more are believed to have taken it since. In all, about 100 are expected to accept the offer and another 30 will likely be laid off.
The 207 employees who were offered the buyout (all with five years or more at the company) were put in a horrible position. If they took the buyout they would get extra severance (two weeks salary for each year worked up to a year's pay). If they didn't, they might be laid off the next day and get little to nothing.
Among those who have taken the buyout, according to newsroom sources:
-- Political Editor Brian Crowley
-- Reporter Tim O'Meilia
-- 'Listening Post" columnist and ombudsman C.B. Hanif
-- Accent columnist and society photog Thom Smith
-- 'Real Life' columnist Emily J. Minor
-- Assistant Metro Editor (and author) Douglas Kalajian
-- Deputy Director of Photography John J. Lopinot
-- Crime writer Rochelle Gilken
-- Editorial writer Elisa Cramer
-- Golf writer Craig Dolch
That's hell of a list and its just [ten] of 130. It was just two years ago that Gilken -- who recently competed on the American Gladiators show -- was profiled in Editor & Publisher as the newspaper reporter of the future. She's as good as she ever was -- it's the business that's gone bad.
All of those taking the buyout will be officially terminated on August 11, according to sources. The layoffs are expected to be announced the following day.
(Thanks to Bill at Florida Masochist for info on Dolch).
