There are no illusions that things are going to get better in the newspaper business anytime soon. In an American Journalism Review article from last summer, writer Charles Layton offered scenarios that put into question whether online advertising will ever fill the gap left from declining print advertising. One chart predicted a fall for total newspaper ad revenue from $45.4 billion in 2007 down to $22.9 billion in 2020, with half of that income from online sources.

The abstract became reality over the holidays as the Erie Times News downsized their workforce through buyouts, with eight members of the newsroom staff leaving. Public Editor Liz Allen gave them a send-off tribute in Sunday’s paper. Reporters and editors no longer at the Erie Times News include:

• George Miller
• Jim Carroll
• Steven M. Sweeney
• Jim Haynes
• Bob Guerrein
• Dale Shidemantle
• Penny Joint
• Anna McCartney

We’ve been reading some of these folks all of our adult lives, and many became fixtures on their beats. As a road and transportation geek, I rarely missed Jim Carroll’s run down of the latest maneuvering of PennDOT and the airlines. George Miller was a fixture down at City Hall and covered much of the fireworks generated between the Fifth Floor and Council Chambers. And Bob Guerrein always impressed me with his command of the English language and evangelism of good books. All in all, some very essential Erie reporting just walked out into the West 12th Street chill.

It would be a shame to see all of that brain power and writing talent going to waste, so we hope each former ETN staffer will find either retirement or their new employment rewarding. Until we see you again in print, here’s to your next assignment ladies and gentlemen.