village voice layoffs

Village Voice Cans Three in Editorial, including Nat Hentoff

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

This just in: Adding to the media meltdown, my former alma mater, the Village Voice, just laid off three more in editorial. [Full disclosure, I was laid off myself for "matters of taste" in 2007]. Among those laid off is Nat Hentoff, who’s been at the paper since 1958, writing about jazz, and later, civil liberties in his weekly long-running column. Fashion writer Lynn Yaeger, who has worked with the paper over 15 30 years, starting in classifieds, before moving into editorial, was laid off, along with staff writer Chloe Hilliard, who was hired under the current editor, Tony Ortega in 2007. We know, we keep saying this, but we continue to be amazed that there is anyone left to lay off.

Nat Hentoff’s Greatest Hits Compilation.

Village Voice Media, Gawker Join the Layoff Fray

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

The media world’s constant upheaval is like a game of musical chairs, except all of the chairs get taken away at once.

According to several inside sources, the Village Voice continued its cost-cutting measures Thursday, dismissing two reporters for budgetary reasons. The paper’s copy chief also resigned in protest after the deputy copy chief was laid off Wednesday.

The deputy copy chief, Shazdeh Omari, was then brought back after Rick Szykowny’s resignation. The two reporters, Sean Gardiner and Maria Luisa Tucker, joined the Village Voice in 2006, after the paper was purchased by New Times Media.

Three staff writers remain to report for the newspaper—Wayne Barrett, Chloé Hilliard and Graham Rayman.

The Voice also cut staff last Friday, laying off long-time photo editor Staci Schwartz and sex columnist Tristan Taormino. (more…)