Staffs cut at two Florida business desks

The business news desks at two of Florida’s best newspapers — the St. Petersburg Times and the Palm Beach Post — are seeing their staffs sliced due to buyouts and other moves.

At the Times, business writer Tom Zucco, whose main assignment is writing about insurance, is taking the buyout offer. (Talking Biz News previously reported that personal finance editor Helen Huntley had also taken the buyout.) Zucco has been at the paper for more than two decades, and previously held spots as a sports writer, sports columnist and a feature writer for the Floridian section.

“I have no plans to tell my wife,” says Zucco, who is known for his wit. “I will leave for work at the same time I always do. But instead of the Times, I will go to the local diner, barber shop and cigar store. That should take me to 5 p.m., when it will be time for the three-block commute home. She never asked much about what I do anyway. I could easily make it to 65, which is 10 years from now. I have no plans other than that. Which is both foolish and thrilling.”

The Times previously lost two business reporting positions due to downsizing. Scott Barancik was let go and Maddie Bora was assigned to a bureau in north Tampa as a general assignment reporter, but rather than go there, she quit at the end of her maternity leave.

Barancik is trying to get a new business up and running as a tip sheet on court actions in the Tampa Bay area. Meanwhile, Scott Long, who was business news editor, left on his own accord to launch a new business at http://www.anteupmagazine.com/.

Business editor Robert Trigaux will step down from that spot and return to writing a column three times a week. Deputy business editor Jeff Harrington is in the running to replace him.

The good news for the remaining business reporters — Mark Albright, Steve Huettel, Asjylyn Loder and Jim Thorner plus Trigaux as columnist — will have more than enough work covering the Tampa Bay business community.

Kris Hundley just transferred last week to a new assignment doing investigative reporting, so she’ll still be at the Times, but not under the business news department.

At the Post, business staff writer Lori Becker, who covered utilities, is leaving Aug. 15 to become managing editor at the Nashville Business Journal. Assistant managing editor for business Rick Christie says her loss “hurts” but that he is happy about her offer in Nashville.

Becker has also covered small business and the boating industry at the Post. Her reporting career has included reporting stints at the Lansing State Journal, The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Lexington Herald-Leader. Lori is a Bowling Green, Ky. native and a graduate of Western Kentucky University. Her first day in Nashville is Sept. 2.

In addition, the Post lost three business news desk staffers to buyouts this week. They were assistant business editor Greg Stepanich, business writer Steve Pounds, who covered technology, and business writer Linda Rawls, who covered tourism, airlines and economic development. Rawls also took early retirement. Tuesday was their last day.

“I know we’re not the only ones going through this,” says Christie. “I wish everyone else the best of luck.”

Christie has also been asked to take on the additional duties of national editor in addition to running the business news coverage.