April 13, 2009 at 2:34 pm by Scott Henry

Despite the presence of some very well-informed rumors, I’d held off running the list of editorial staffers who were presumed to be taking the latest round of newsroom buyouts at the AJC. Frankly, I expected Editor Julia Wallace to release the official list at any moment, and I didn’t want to post any erroneous information in the meantime. Well, the list of 74 names was released a short while ago and, sure enough, it contains many familiar bylines. 

Star lifestyle writer Jim Auchmutey will be leaving. So will star war correspondent Moni Basu — perhaps not surprising since the AJC’s days of sending reporters abroad seems to be over. The paper also appears to be clearing house of its arts critics: visual arts critic Cathy Fox, theater critic Wendell Brock and classical music critic Pierre Ruhe, as well as Sonia Murray, who writes about the hip-hop scene.

But the buyouts haven’t been the only news from Marietta Street in the past few days. On Friday, the newspaper eliminated its news art department — the folks who produced the graphics and illustrations that accompany articles — laying off the four remaining employees. Also receiving pink slips was the entire news research staff, which likewise included four or five people. Oddly, however, we understand that reporters have not yet been told they no longer have a research department.

But AJC staffers are most outraged by the surprise firing of newsroom assistant Mark Slockett, who had worked at the paper more than 30 years. I’m told Slockett had struggled over whether to take the buyout, but had ultimately decided against doing so because he was only a few months away from being eligible to receive full retirement benefits. I’m trying to verify this information, but I’ve already spoken to more than one newsroom employee angry over the apparent shoddy treatment of Slockett.

“This had always been a company that took care of its employees,” one staffer told me who asked not to be named. “But this seems to be an indication that they don’t care anymore.”

Mid-morning today, Wallace sent a message to staff which began: “This will be a busy week, with new assignments and training.” She went on to explain that the new organizational chart would be revealed to the rank and file on Tuesday, but that the 30 or so supervisors would get their marching orders today. Seeing as there are currently twice that many supervisors, it’s a good bet that many of them will be reassigned to writing positions or made copy editors. Wallace concedes that some people are likely to be less than excited about their new job. “Not every move will be a perfect fit,” she says, asking folks to keep an open mind.

NOTE: Paul Baron, CEO of Hometowntimes.com comments:

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We want to not only help, but also better understand what journalists, reporters, advertising salespersons are thinking when their thoughts drift to “what’s next for me?” Here at http://www.hometowntimes.com, we want to hear from people in, out, or soon to be out, or who want to be out of the established print/news outlets and are searching for a way to connect with those in their local communities - the people, the businesses, the events - the issues of local importance that appear to be less and less covered by the incumbent media outlets. If we can help anyone in the industry in the Atlanta area, or you just want to share your thoughts, I welcome your input.

A hometowntimes.com franchisee is a stakeholder in the community, directly supports the growth of their local small business universe, and connects information, events, and topics of relevance in these neighborhoods, as it acts as the social network hub for communications within America's small towns, mid-sized cities, and suburban counties underserved by the print media. 

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