Star-Ledger business desk takes a hit with buyouts

TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE

On Wednesday, Newark Star-Ledger business editor Kevin Shinkle will go to work at New Jersey’s largest paper for the last time. He’s accepted the paper’s buyout and will go to work next week on the AP business desk as an assistant business editor.

Most of the rest of the business desk — reporters and editors — will be following Shinkle out the door between now and the end of the year. All but two of the business desk’s reporters have also accepted the paper’s buyout offer and will be leaving, according to multiple sources at the paper.

Remaining are Susan Todd, who covers drugs and the economy, and Joseph Perone, a general assignment reporter.

Most of those leaving are looking for jobs. Beside Shinkle and deputy business editor TJ Foderaro, who is now working for Harrison Scott Publications, deputy business editor Eric Strauss has found employment, taking a job at Centenary College in nearby Hackettstown.

Beth Fitzgerald, who covered small business, is now an editor and writer at www.NJBIZ.com.

Kevin Whitmer, managing editor of news at the paper, tells Talking Biz News that the paper is still trying to determine the future of its business coverage, such as whether the business section will remain as a standalone and how many of the business desk staffers will be replaced.

Paula Paige, the Sunday business editor at the paper, also took the buyout and was originally scheduled to depart on Wednesday with Shinkle. But now she’s been asked to stay until the end of the year to help direct the paper’s business coverage.

Other well-known staff members leaving the paper include, in alphabetical order: Real estate and finance reporter Sam Ali, casino reporter Judy DeHaven, energy reporter Tom Johnson, pharmaceutical reporter George Jordan, pharmaceutical reporter Jeff May, general assignment reporter Greg Saitz, commercial real estate reporter Ian Shearn, and drug blog Pharmalot writer Edward Silverman.

Also leaving is Bob Cohen, who covered the drug industry from Washington, D.C.