Elliott, NYTimes’ advertising columnist, accepts buyout

Stuart Elliott, the advertising columnist of The New York Times since May 1991, has accepted the newspaper’s buyout offer and will leave the paper later this month.

In an email to Talking Biz News, Elliott wrote, “It was a tough, and painful, decision to make, but the offer the Times made to us (we?) veteran staffers was too generous and good to pass up. And it’s coming at a good time for me personally, I believe, a good moment to pause, gather my thoughts, put my feet up for a bit and consider what’s next in my career and life.”

Elliott’s last day will be Dec. 19.

Elliott writes the weekday advertising report as well as other news articles and features. He also writes a weekly e-mail newsletter, In Advertising, for The New York Times on the Web and previously produced radio reports and podcasts for the Times on advertising and marketing topics.

Elliott has covered advertising, marketing and media topics for two decades; in addition to The Times, he has written on those subjects for USA Today, Advertising Age, The Detroit Free Press and The Times-Union in Rochester, N.Y.

Elliott has freelanced for many publications, including Campaign, Texas Monthly and Working Woman; speaks around the country; moderates panels, and has appeared on television programs like “Nightline,” “Biography,” “20/20,” “The News with Brian Williams” and specials on networks including The History Channel, Showtime and VH1.

Elliott received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.