My Daily Confession

As buyouts and rumors of buyouts grow, the Retch must make a confession. You are right, Sam. With very few exceptions, any single journalist can be fired without repercussions to the business, or the journalism. At a paper as big as the LA Times, maybe you can even let go of 20, or 30, or 50 and see no effect.

But take a look at the list to the right, headlined "-30-". It's the Retch's effort to document all the journalists that have taken a buyout or fled to another haven in the past two years. Click on a person's name, and you can see his or her published work, courtesy of the Google news archives.

What the list showed this Retch is that the combined toll of the past two years of cutting has been devastating, to the business, but especially to journalism. The LA Times has lost years, and years, and years of expertise. It has lost dozens and dozens and dozens of some of the finest journalists in the country. These departures mean that folks in LA and elsewhere have less news. Less news to make decisions. Less news to debate public policy. Less news to figure out right from wrong, good from bad, smart from stupid. The levee was breached long ago. The 'why' follows.

For me, compiling the -30- list was an exercise in accountability. I wanted there to be one place on the web where everyone could witness the damage wrought by successive generations of drive-by owners and Zidiots. I linked to Google news in an effort to show the contributions made by these journalists.

It's not a compete list, nor a perfect technique. I apologize in advance to the copy editors and editors. Click on your Google news link and it might not pull up stories. Sorry. It's not a reflection of your contribution. It's a reflection of me trying to automate this thing. Also, Google search being what it is, an inexact science, you'll pull up some junk among the bylines. Sorry again. I did the best I could. But please email objections and or subjections t0 InkStainedRetch asperand gmail.com.

Also, I know the list is incomplete. Again, email me the names of anybody who has left or fled during the reign of error that began since Baquet's departure in November 2006. I'd like to be as inclusive as possible.

As to the name, for the un-ink stained, -30- is an old newspaper code, filed at the bottom of a story to indicate that it has ended (as opposed to, the teletype machine dropped connection midway – Again!). Many of these journalists have gone on to fine careers at other papers, including some who won Pulitzer Prizes. Awesome managerial decisions, guys.

I hope the list is a wake-up call. A special shout-out to LA billionaires. You can allow Zell to further gut the paper. You can watch this list grow. Or you can step in, and stop the damage to your paper and your town. Make an offer now.