Goodbye, Newsroom

Perhaps it’s not the most politic thing in the world to announce your unemployment on your own website, but I have never been one to pussyfoot around. I lost my job a little over a month ago, in a newsroom reorganization that was part of a larger reduction in force by the Winston-Salem Journal’s new corporate parent, World Media Enterprises. (Yes, the Warren Buffett people.) In all, 105 folks lost their jobs, others accepted new assignments at lower wages, and WME shut the doors on one newspaper, the Manassas News & Messenger.

To say goodbye to my friends in the newsroom, I made this little video. Part nostalgia, part pep talk, I was happy that it got a little wider play thanks to social media and blogs like Romenesko and Gangrey.

Stay tuned to this space for more on my adventures. And if you know what’s going on in your town, thank a reporter.