LA Times tech/entertainment writer is leaving paper

Alex Pham, who covers technology and entertainment for the Los Angeles Times, sent an email to the staff on Wednesday stating that she is leaving the paper.

Pham wrote:

There have been some rumors circulating around the newsroom, and I just want to take a moment to address them.

1. It is true that I am leaving the Times, after more than 12 amazing years here, to pursue another opportunity that will give me more flexibility. It’s NOT  true that a certain high-level video game executive who shall be nameless has finally managed to get me fired.

2. It is absolutely true that part of the opportunity will include being able to take my kid to soccer practice more often, finishing up the Harry Potter books we started reading out loud last year, and helping my kid beat the pod racing level in Lego Star Wars, Ep. 1. Contrary to the innuendos on Facebook and my Google+ circles, however, I will not be checking myself into rehab to treat a video game addiction.

3. It’s also true that John Corrigan made a valiant effort to persuade me to stay. It’s not true that he offered to sweeten my pay with free Farmers Market kettle corn and cafeteria chili every Thursday, because if he had, I would have stayed.

Speaking of John, I very much want to thank him and an army of editors at the Times, past and present, who have made me a better reporter. Claudia Eller, Lorraine Ali, Mark Duvoisin, Jim Granelli, John Lippman, Sallie Hofmeister, Russ Stanton, Chris Gaither, Aaron Curtiss — I owe you guys an ocean of beer (or in John Lippman’s case, coffee, preferably black and in plain white paper cups). A massive tankard of gratitude also goes out to the Copy Desk and its Super Hero team of editors who save my butt each and every day, often several times a day. Along with the reporters here, the Times has more talent per square inch than any publication on the planet.

See you at the Redwood!