Offering voluntary buyouts as a way to reduce staff before layoffs always sounds a bit harsh, but at least it gives some people the opportunity/illusion (depending on how you look at it) of choosing their own adventure. In a memo today, Turner Broadcasting, which is trying to cut costs at channels like CNN and TBS, announced that it will offer a buyout program to staffers who are 55 or older and have been at the company for at least 10 years. The volunteers will get nine weeks of their salary plus four additional weeks for each year they spent at the company. Of course, if the target is not met, then there is no choice but to start laying people off. Well, actually, that may happen regardless. “Given the current focus on reducing costs and prioritizing investments to maximize company performance, Turner will also undertake additional reductions in staffing,” the memo said. (CNN.com)
Journalist Clare Morgana Gillis writes a moving tribute to her friend James Foley, who she became close with when they spent six weeks as hostages in Libya in 2011. (Vice.com)
Times public editor Margaret Sullivan weighs in on the controversy that erupted after a story called Michael Brown “no angel” and finds that it was poor wording and unfortunate timing (the story ran the same day as his funeral), but otherwise solid reporting. (The New York Times)
Bad news from Salon: nobody has really figured out the future of journalism yet and it probably isn’t a golden age despite what people in the business of producing content say when they are trying to make themselves feel better. (Salon)
#ThrowbackTuesday to a media feud between Jay Rosen and Jack Schaffer. We can all tell our children about 2004, a time before Twitter, when media critics fought online by complaining to Jim Romensko over emails. (JimRomensko.com)
