Posted by chicagomedia.org on August 10, 2008 at 14:54:38:
Veteran journalists exit in Tribune's latest cutbacks
A trio of Chicago Tribune newsroom leaders was among those volunteering to leave the paper Friday, the first editorial exits at Tribune Co.'s flagship connected to a companywide cost-cutting plan to reduce its newspapers' staffs and pages by the end of next month.
Among those granted requests for buyouts were Managing Editor for News Hanke Gratteau, a one-time assistant to the late columnist Mike Royko; Public Editor Timothy J. McNulty, whose postings as a national and foreign correspondent included the White House, China and the Middle East; and Washington Bureau Chief Michael Tackett.
The Tribune said last month it expected to eliminate about 80 newsroom positions in this round of cuts, the paper's fourth in three years, and an undetermined number of involuntary departures remain.
Gerould Kern, who was named the Tribune's editor six days after the cuts were announced, said in a staff memo that the paper is "in the process of evaluating the scope of these reductions."
Cuts to the Tribune's non-editorial departments also began Friday, with some exits involuntary.
Kern, in his memo, thanked those leaving the newsroom voluntarily for their contributions, singling out Gratteau, McNulty and Tackett for their "grace and consummate professionalism" in difficult times.
The cutbacks hew to a trend affecting newspapers across the country, including The New York Times and Washington Post, as their growing online businesses have failed to offset accelerated declines in print ad revenue.
(Rosenthal)