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From what I hear, some Los Angeles Times newsroom reporters and editors are still discussing with higher-ups whether to leave and under what conditions. So it's a developing situation. Here are some more who are definitely out the door or soon to be, each of these reportedly voluntary. Previous names
Peter Spiegel, recently named a Beijing correspondent after covering the Pentagon. He never got there. His Times email bounce-back says "as of March 23, Peter Spiegel is no longer employed at the Los Angeles Times." In December, Foreign Editor Bruce Wallace wrote, "Peter comes to Foreign from the DC bureau, where he has excelled since 2006 in covering the Pentagon and defense issues. He and his colleagues have brought The Times recognition on the biggest, most competitive national security story in Washington over the past five years: the war in Iraq."
Tim Lynch, the senior copy chief for the foreign and national desks. In reply to my email, he says: "Indeed, my last day will be this Saturday (March 28). I'm leaving to take a position at Cal Poly Pomona, where I served as newspaper advisor a decade ago. I'll be a senior media communications coordinator in the public affairs office. I've been blessed to work at The Times for nearly 20 years -- what a great job and what great people -- but with a daughter who's about to become a teenager (and I know this is one of the all-time great clichés), I want to spend more time with my family, and the job at Cal Poly will facilitate that."
Aaron Curtiss, Innovation Editor at LATimes.com, and Metro reporter Jennifer Oldham. They are married and sent a joint farewell note to the newsroom last night. Curtiss took the newly created post of deputy innovation editor in 2007 after active involvement in the Spring Street Project, the internal process a few years ago that began moving the LAT toward the web and that launched the rise of current Editor Russ Stanton. Curtiss joined the paper as a 19-year-old intern in 1988, became a full-time staff writer in 1993, started the paper's first column about video games in 1995, then became the Valley Edition's editorial page editor. He left the news staff for awhile to get an MBA at UCLA and serve as assistant to the advertising VP, then came back to the newsroom in 2000 as editor of Tech Times, then became assistant technology editor and senior technology editor.
Their note is after the jump, along with the farewell email to readers by New York bureau reporter Erika Hayasaki, who is reportedly headed to UC Irvine to teach literary journalism.
From Curtiss and Oldham:
Colleagues:Even now, working in the newsroom is about the most fun we've had standing up. But, obviously, we didn’t spend all of the past two decades on our feet chasing news – the result being two adorable boys. And seeing the world through their eyes has helped us decide to leave The Times, the place where we grew up and learned the bedazzling craft of journalism. We have long talked about a new path for our family and new professional challenges for the two of us. By chance, those goals lined up in recent weeks and we made the choice to see where fate takes us.
Given some of the chatter over the past couple days, we wanted to note that leaving is an entirely personal decision. We believe as firmly as ever in the future of journalism in Southern California. In Russ and Eddy, The Times has leaders who understand the magnitude of the disruption facing our industry and are prepared to take the steps necessary to preserve what matters most. And the strides made by this newsroom over the past two years have been tremendous, even in the most trying of times.
Those of you who know us, know that we like to climb tall mountains for no other reason than to see what's on the other side. Same idea. But as with any trek, the trip itself is often the best part, and over the course of our journey here, we've earned the privilege of calling so many of you friends.
AC & Jen
From Hayasaki:
Dear Readers,
I am writing to you because at some point in the last 9 years that I have been a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, you wrote to me first -- and before I go, I would like to thank you.
Maybe it was in response to an article about a bus driver who had a dream of taking disadvantaged Los Angeles children on a trip to see the world, or a story about a teenage girl who survived after her father shot her and killed her family, or a tale of a man trying to cure his own cancer with radio waves. You contacted me from all over the world, and whatever I wrote that motivated you to tell me it touched you, moved you to reflect on your life, inspired you to send a donation somewhere, or simply made you cry, I am truly grateful you let me know.
This is my last week as a reporter for the Times. Given the precarious state of the daily newspaper industry, I have decided to leave to teach students the kind of journalism that I love -- literary journalism -- and to continue practicing it in other outlets, particularly books.
Your kind notes made this job matter to me and to the incredible and courageous people you came to know through my articles. I hope you continue to read newspapers, especially the Los Angeles Times. Keep caring. There are so many talented reporters that remain, and they need you.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Erika Hayasaki
Web Site: www.erikahayasaki.com
of LA Observed
