Tuscaloosa News offers buyouts

I'm told that The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News, a NYT Regional newspaper, is offering buyouts to newsroom employees aged 50 or older. The newsroom was informed late this afternoon.

Up to 11 (out of a newsroom of 45-ish) are available to take the option, and they've got 45 days to decide. If enough take it, they won't forge ahead with buyouts elsewhere in the building or, unfortunately, layoffs.

I pass through the Druid City often in my various travels, and the T-News is a well-designed, well-written paper that's especially strong in sports, IMO. (Well, and the APSE's opinion, too.) And, last I was told, the T-News was actually making tiny circulation gains, which blows my mind.

As for that sports section, I'm not quite sure the depth of how this affects it. Executive SE David Wasson is a young buck, so he's not eligible. As for his staff, star columnist Cecil Hurt is not 50, so there's that.

 

Could it be the regional papers are taking the brunt of problems with larger papers?

 

Unlikely, based on my NYT experience. At previous stops, their buyouts have proven generous, so much so that we joked about how one of our editors quit his job because he needed the money.

 

I was laid off from this place many moon ago. I heard that the new building is very nice. Maybe I can get another job there just to be laid off twice by the same company. Just for shits and giggles.

 

Dunno... T News is a money maker, thanks to Bama....
What bugs me is everyone offered the buyout is over 50... age discimination?

 

That's the magic question being asked everywhere.

 

Has anyone ever tried to file suit about it? It would be interesting to see how it turned out. Might make company offer it to the first 11(this case).

 

Interesting. How does this dovetail with rumors that Cecil Hurt was offered HUGE sum of money to stay with the T. News rather than go cover the Tide for a Web site?

 

If I'm not mistaken... and someone jump in if I am with the correct info... I think there is a case going through court involving older workers displaced by Belo.

Whatever the case, it's too bad to see something like this.

 

A Gannett shop got sued for age discrimination when it fired a golf writer whose name escapes me several years ago for posting anti-Gannett sentiment on a message board. He was replaced from the national golf beat by a much younger -- and better -- writer. Anyway, the writer won big.

 

You can get fired for posting stuff on message boards?

And Hejira, I think that's apples and oranges. The Rules has learned that while The T-News' sports staff has two buyout-eligible employees, they don't expect staffing to change one bit.

 

FW Star-Telegram had to settle with a writer who sued for age discrimination a few years ago.