Post Buyouts Update

More buyouts FishbowlDC is hearing…

Stephen Hunter, film critic

Philip Blanchard, financial copy editor and founder of testycopyeditors

Keith Jenkins, Multimedia Director (photo department)

Mary Lou Tousignant (Kids Post editor)

Sandra Boodman, reporter (Health section)

Valerie Strauss, reporter (Metro)

Book World Editor Marie Arana

Copy editor Barry Barriere

Judy Sarasohn, Copy Editor

Carol Porter, Art Director, Real Estate

Joellen Murphy, Art Director, Home

Molly Moore and John Ward Anderson – Paris bureau (Foreign)

Peter Hayes, news aide (Style)

Tim Page, classical music critic

Mary Lischer, administrator (Style)

Allen Lengel, reporter (Real Estate)

Yolanda Woodlee, reporter (Metro)

Susan Morse, assistant editor (Health)

Vanessa Hillian, asst. Photo Editor

John Morse, Jr., chief financial officer

John Burgess (deputy foreign editor)

Remember: Just because they’re taking the buyout doesn’t mean they’re definitely going to leave (they can be bought back by the paper) and it doesn’t mean that they can’t freelance for the paper. For instance: Jay Mathews, who took the buyout and has been bought back by the paper.

NOT taking the buyout: Marc Fisher.

Arlington, Va.: So who ended up taking the buyout? I haven’t heard your name, so I assume you decided to pass?
Marc Fisher: As many of you know, the Post is today concluding its third and largest buyout in a series of moves that are reducing the size of the newsgathering operation here. We are lucky to have a strong base of subscribers so that we, unlike most American newspapers, have not layed off anyone, but the decline in advertising revenue has mandated a shrinking of the newsroom.
Several dozen of my colleagues will be leaving the paper soon, and that saddens everyone here. I have decided to stay, both because I love what I do and because I am excited about being part of the reshaping of the newspaper and the evolution of whatever form newsgathering takes in the next phase of our history. The shrinking of the paper will inevitably mean that we do fewer things than we used to, but if we make smart choices about reducing the number of areas we cover, we can be every bit as good or even better in those areas that we decide to focus on in the future. And I know everyone here agrees that local news is one of the areas we will place the most focus on in the coming years.

Other Post notes: The guy in charge of washingtonpost.com’s election coverage, Russ Walker, is leaving to join an environmental group in Seattle. He’s the “Assistant Managing Editor, Nation and World”. (UPDATE: He’s joining Grist.org)

Also, wp.com’s Arts and Living Editor, Maura McCarthy, is leaving to join the Smithsonian. (UPDATE: She’ll be web editor there.)

BTW: McCarthy and Walker’s moves are unrelated to the buyout.

And the rumors of Rob Curley leaving are so pervasive that it’s assumed to be fact and managers are fighting over the remains of his staff.

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