Maria Saporta, the longtime business columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says that she has turned in the paperwork to accept the paper’s buyout offer and will be leaving next month.
Saporta has written a column for the paper for nearly two decades, chronicling the movers and shakers in the Atlanta business community. She’s at least the third person on the business desk who has accepted the buyout offer.
Before becoming a business columnist in 1991, Saporta was a business reporter for the newspaper. She spent eight years covering various beats, including economic development, international business, conventions, tourism, the Georgia Dome, Underground Atlanta, and the Coca-Cola Co.
Saporta began her career in 1980 with The Macon Telegraph. She received her master’s degree in urban studies from Georgia State University in 1980. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University. Saporta, an Atlanta native, is of European heritage and speaks French fluently.
Saporta has served two terms as president of the Atlanta Press Club and currently chairs the Club’s Debate Committee. She also was named one of the 100 most influential Georgians by Georgia Trend in 1999 and 2000.
Disclosure: I worked with Saporta on the Journal-Constitution business desk from 1994 to 1997.
