Raleigh N&O sheds editorial cartoonist Dwane Powell, multimedia artist Grey Blackwell
That sound you’re hearing is yet another shoe dropping.
The News & Observer of Raleigh announced Thursday it was eliminating 53 more jobs — 20 of them in the newsroom. This is the third job reduction since May for The N&O.
Among the casualties this time: Editorial cartoonist Dwane Powell, who has drawn for The N&O for 33 years, and graphics editor-turned-political satirist/flash animator Grey Blackwell.
Grey, hard at work in his office at The N&O in February.
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You may recall we posted a very nice Q&A with Grey this past spring. We’re huge fans of his work. Before he got into the online thing, Grey had been graphics editor of The N&O for eight years.
Here’s a list of the animated shorts Grey has created for The N&O. Find Grey’s portfolio on his personal web page.
N&O cartoonist Dwane Powell
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Dwane, too, will be missed. He was always very kind to me, a former editorial cartoonist. The N&O’s Jonathan Cox reports that Dwane:
…plans to leave the newspaper after the elections in November. He’s unsure of his plans, saying he might continuing drawing for the Creators Syndicate that distributes his work or retire completely.
[N&O publisher Orage Quarles III] said he hasn’t yet decided whether to replace Powell but might try out some new cartoonists on the editorial page.
Find Dwane’s N&O cartoons here. Find his official bio here.
The N&O’s Pat Stith
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Another recent high-profile departure: Ace investigative reporter Pat Stith, who won a Pulitzer for The N&O in 1996. Pat was one of the more graphics-friendly reporters at the paper. My very first SND award came as a result of a project he and I worked on together, 13 years ago.
Read The N&O’s report here. Dammit.
Full disclosure: I worked at The N&O from April 1993 to October 1996.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Sadly, I figured it was only a matter of time for Grey. His cartoons have been wonderful, but they’re one of those luxury items most newspapers can no longer afford. I think the saddest part of the whole industry decline has been the loss of many distinctive voices that spoke to and about the communities around them. In the paring down, many news outlets are losing the flavor that actually makes their product palatable.