The city’s best columnist, Steve Bailey (left), and legendary investigative reporter Stephen Kurkjian are among those who’ve told Boston Globe editor Marty Baron that, all things considered, they’d rather be somewhere else. (Update: Bailey tells Adam Reilly that he’s staying put.)
Michael Calderone reports in the New York Observer that some 30 Globe staff members have said they want to take advantage of early-retirement incentives the paper is offering in a bid to shrink its news and editorial-page ranks by 19 (via Romenesko). The Bailey-Kurkjian development comports with information Media Nation picked up independently.
The loss of Kurkjian would be significant, though he is near retirement age. Bailey is another matter altogether. No Boston columnist, and few journalists of any kind, breaks as much news as Bailey. It’s unimaginable that he’d leave, but, then, a lot of unimaginable things are taking place at the Globe and other struggling newspapers these days.
Even though — or maybe because — he has the best forum in town, Bailey is occasionally rumored to be moving on. Three years ago he turned down an offer from Pat Purcell to work for the Boston Herald. So we’ll have to see how this plays out.
Discover more from Media Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
Anonymous
EB3 here,Perhaps Bailey may go radio full time? Have a show that follows Finneran’s. Finneran is re-defining talk radio. And Bailey has been helping.If you say something, back it up. Know what you are talking about.This is refreshing. And Bailey could be the next midday guy at RKO.Go Jason Go
Paul
The Fourth Estate is in a sad state in this country. Political correctness and just plain bias has almost destroyed a free press.
Edward Prisby
*groan*…political correctness, huh?Nonetheless, this would be bad news. Remind me again why I subscribe to the Globe? Oh wait, I don’t.
Chris Helms
Well, now it’s official. My fight to preserve “legegendary” as meaning imaginary or mythical is lost. The New Yorker, NPR and now you, Dan. Oh well. This battle was lost on the sports pages long ago and had crept into the news.
Anonymous
According to Media Log Bob Turner may be leaving. That is certainly unfortunate that he may not be around.
Anonymous
“Legendary” certainly applies to Kurkjian, unless you know of many other three-time Pulitzer winners.
Anonymous
Bailey is sticking around until his haircut grows out. Always a pleasure to hear him gargle the news…