Reuters picks up two LA Times buyout-ees

During the run-up to the recent Los Angeles Times newsroom buyout, some staffers were busy looking for other jobs, and at least two found them with the Reuters bureau in Los Angeles. Brian Thevenot was a deputy business editor at the Times and Lisa Girion was an investigative reporter in Metro. Both start Jan. 4 in the Reuters office here, where another former LA Times editor, Sue Horton, is an editor.

From the note to Reuters staff: "I am delighted to announce we have hired two very talented, experienced and award-winning journalists to the top news team. Brian Thevenot and Lisa Girion are both coming to us from the Los Angeles Times, and will work alongside another Times alum, Sue Horton, in our LA office. This will provide regional balance for the top news team and allow us to handle late coverage more effectively…."

The buyout departures and related activities are continuing at the Times. The Metro staff had a farewell party for departing colleagues late last week in Little Tokyo, and it apparently featured some renewed morale among the remainers about the paper's performance on the San Bernardino shootings. The Times continues to pursue and break stories around San Bernardino, and with the play those stories are getting in the print paper, it's pretty clear the editors smell a Pulitzer contender and have two more weeks to strengthen the case. Prize entries are for calendar year work, though I think you can cite work and any results that occur after Jan. 1.

Another departing Times person has written about his exit. Dan Evans was editor of the Times Community News local papers in the Glendale and foothills area. In his final column he passes the editorship, and the company-issued laptop, to John Canalis.

Poynter also had a small interview with retired sports columnist Bill Dwyre.