The upcoming AJC list

[Jake_Taylor]

My God, the high school editor is gone. Wasn't he just about the only full-time employee left covering preps? Good thing they don't like high school football in the South.

 

[Mike Knobler]

My God, the high school editor is gone. Wasn't he just about the only full-time employee left covering preps? Good thing they don't like high school football in the South.

Chip was a high school editor, not the high school editor. Forgive me for the lack of precision in my post.

 

[finishthehat]

The AJC actually released the list of names of people taking the buyout?

That's unusual, isn't it?

 

[Jake_Taylor]

My God, the high school editor is gone. Wasn't he just about the only full-time employee left covering preps? Good thing they don't like high school football in the South.

Chip was a high school editor, not the high school editor. Forgive me for the lack of precision in my post.

How many high school editors and/or reporters are left? I though I remembered Ramos saying at an APSE thing several months ago that they were using almost exclusively part-timers to cover high schools.

 

[Mike Knobler]

My God, the high school editor is gone. Wasn't he just about the only full-time employee left covering preps? Good thing they don't like high school football in the South.

Chip was a high school editor, not the high school editor. Forgive me for the lack of precision in my post.

How many high school editors and/or reporters are left? I though I remembered Ramos saying at an APSE thing several months ago that they were using almost exclusively part-timers to cover high schools.

Tim Ellerbee has been king of high schools coverage for a few years from an editing perspective. He's still there. So is reporter Michael Carvell, who has been covering recruiting. So is Darryl Maxie, who has written extensively about high school sports during his career but has filled a different role lately. (Darryl has been a Braves beat reporter, a Georgia Tech beat reporter, a high schools editor ... He has done just about everything in the department.)

You are correct that part-timers played a massive role in preps coverage; they're gone. I don't know what the plan is going forward.

 

[JayFarrar]

I don't think it was as much as the AJC released it as it was the local alt-weekly got their hands on it and ran with it.
From the Creative Loafing story, and this sounds horrific by the way, cut a dude loose right before he retires?!?!?

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.”

 

[mediaguy]

I've known Knobler since his Mississippi days. Talked to him just a few weeks ago trying to track a coach down. Always helpful, always a good guy.

Again, we've long since passed the point at which the cuts make any sense at all.

 

[Jim_Carty]

I'm hoping to become a law professor someday. I'm not sure where I will be heading this fall; Georgetown is the leader in the clubhouse while I await word from several other schools.

Georgetown, as some of you may know, is one of the finest law schools in the country. My hat is off to you, Mike.

But I'll be counting on you and Jeff Carroll (Michigan, another top 14 school) to pick up the tab from your big firm expense accounts when we eventually run into each other down the legal road.

;-)

Congrats and good luck.

 

[buckweaver]

Good for you, Mike.

Terry Moore's gone. A "holy ****ing ****" moment for this Georgia boy if I ever heard one.

IIRC, Holcomb was most recently the SE at the Gwinnett Daily Post before taking the part-time job at the AJC. Hope that means he already had something else lined up before any of this went down.

Sad to hear about all this.

 

[Shifty Squid]

IIRC, Holcomb was most recently the SE at the Gwinnett Daily Post before taking the part-time job at the AJC. Hope that means he already had something else lined up before any of this went down.

I think you're thinking of Todd Cline, buck. Cline was the SE before becoming editor of the Gwinnett Daily Post. That Todd, incidentally, is also a good guy and an excellent journalist.

But Todd Holcomb had been with the AJC for about 24 years. Was full time before he went part time for reasons that aren't really pertinent to the board. But he kicked major ass on the preps side for years. And he (much like many, many, many others) deserved far better than to be unceremoniously kicked to the curb. The good news with him, though, is his long-time employment there should buy him a pretty significant buyout. Best of luck to Todd on finding something new in that time.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Mike,

If it's any consolation, you did a great job following Craig Custance in the Thrashers' beat.

EF

 

[buckweaver]

IIRC, Holcomb was most recently the SE at the Gwinnett Daily Post before taking the part-time job at the AJC. Hope that means he already had something else lined up before any of this went down.

I think you're thinking of Todd Cline, buck. Cline was the SE before becoming editor of the Gwinnett Daily Post. That Todd, incidentally, is also a good guy and an excellent journalist.

Damn. Got my Atlanta-area Todds mixed up. Thanks for the catch.

 

[dixiehack]

Covers Dixie Like The Dew, my ass. :'(

 

[Mike Knobler]

Mike,

If it's any consolation, you did a great job following Craig Custance in the Thrashers' beat.

EF

To be mentioned in the same sentence with Craig is quite a compliment. Thanks.

 

[Rockbottom]

Having worked alongside John Hollis, who we would kid was by FAR the whitest black man in America (he took pride in the ribbing, as well as his MASSIVE drought at the stop I refer to ...), I hate to see my man go. A talented writer, whom I believe led the AJC's Chris Benoit coverage.

Unfortunately, there are no Bennigan's out there any more to drink in his honor tonight.

rb

 

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

That list is ridiculously depressing.

Ain't THAT the truth. A lot of old friends have either been bought out or laid off in the last year, year and a half or so, and the hits just keep on coming.

Least surprising name on that list: Derrick Mahone. I know he couldn't have been happy about being moved from sports to Cobb cops/courts the last time.

Most surprising (to me, anyway): Terrence Moore. Like BBE said, a real gentleman — and perhaps the AJC's most provocative columnist (whether you agree with him or not, he'd usually have people talking).

And if that report about Slockett is accurate, SOMEONE down there deserves a swift kick in the ass, IMHO.

Oh, to go off on a bit of a tangent, Shifty and Buck are both spot on about the two Todds. Fortunately, Cline is still on the scene as the GDP's editor, and I don't see him leaving anytime soon. Hope the best for Holcombe.

 

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Covers Dixie Like The Dew, my ass. :'(

Actually, I think Big Bad Eagle put it best in an earlier AJC thread.

"Covers Dixie Like the Don't"

 

[lisa_simpson]

Mike,

Just wanted to let you know that we'll miss you at Philips Arena. As both a fan and part of the PT staff, I wanted to echo the sentiment that you followed in Craig's footsteps seamlessly. Good luck in law school, though if you've already got the welcome letter from Georgetown, you certainly won't need it.

 

[Moderator1]

Mike - best to you, keep in touch. You are indeed one of the good guys in addition to being one of the best at the business. I'm going to need a good lawyer soon, so get in and out quickly please.

I understand one more big name may be gone, his choice, but wasn't on that list. I will post when I confirm or someone else post if you know what I'm talking about here.

 

[Bullrog]

I understand one more big name may be gone, his choice, but wasn't on that list. I will post when I confirm or someone else post if you know what I'm talking about here.

I had to go back to it, but he's on my preliminary list - notably without a question mark (my friend sent it to me Thursday, and those without question marks by their names were definitely gone).
I was surprised to not see his name on the list posted online, but it was pretty common knowledge in the newsroom that he is gone.