Gannett Voluntary Buyouts

If somebody wanted to take a buyout and flee this ugly profession and a superior "vetoed" it, that would be truly despicable. Because the employee wants out and basically now he/she will have to quit and not get the generous (sarcasm) severance package. To all superiors ... if an employee wants out, let 'em have the severance and leave with a shred of dignity.

 

E&P reported 500 Gannett employees took the buyout.

Sounds to me like the accrued vacation time payout would've vastly surpassed what Gannett was offering. So just sit tight and wait for liberation.

 

Actual video of Gannett editor telling an employee who applied for the buyout he's been rejected:

 

Heard Pat Dooley from Gainesville Sun took the buyout, as did Robbie Andreu. A lot of institutional knowledge leaving as of 12/1.

 

Robbie's been in Gainesville since the Fort Lauderdale paper sent him there in the late 80s.

 

Good guys.

 

Any farewell columns from those leaving?

 

The Gainesville Sun is on track to disappear into irrelevancy. Such a shame.

 

Stu Whitney's farewell piece in Sioux Falls.

Whitney: Feeling thankful after finding a place called home

And another writer Matt Zimmer had a nice companion piece on Stu.

Zimmer: A toast to Stu Whitney - friend, colleague and mentor

 

Duggan: It's time to move on from the Coloradoan

Here's one. He says it's not the company or anything and doesn't mention a buyout but the timing is suspect. I think especially with his anniversary coming up. There's not many people left in that newsroom anyway, but there are only two left with that kind of experience. Unless they took buyouts too.

 

Worked with both
Great guys and journalists

UF fixtures Pat Dooley, Robbie Andreu retiring after long run covering Gators

 

Worked with Pat in Jacksonville... He filed a rock-solid Super Bowl lead with less than a minute to go in the game. And then in Gainesville when he was named the sports editor about a month after I got there as a part-timer and UF student.
Never worked with Robbie, but great admirer of both of their works for a long time.