Peach Buzz buzzkill
October 19, 2009 at 6:30 pm by Scott Henry in News
This is the pits. We’ve gotten word that Peach Buzz columnist Rich Eldredge quit the AJC last Friday after being told he was being reassigned. Here’s the internal memo that went out to the newsroom — somewhat prematurely, it would now seem:
Jennifer Brett joins the Opinion/Insight group as Peach Buzz columnist and blogger. Jennifer will report on the comings and goings of Atlanta’s celebs and VIPs. Jennifer will start Monday.
Rich Eldredge joins the Breaking News group, bringing a wealth of reporting experience and deep local connections. Rich will start Monday.
Oops, maybe not.
This is bad news for all concerned. I’ve argued before that a society/celebrity column has a place in a major daily newspaper and that Eldredge, who took over the gig full-time in 1996, was “easily the best Buzz-er the paper has had in the last 20 years.”
I can attest from experience that being bounced from a comfortable beat can be a jarring, horrendous experience for a journalist. On the other hand, it often goes with the territory. It’s a shame that the AJC management and Eldredge couldn’t work out a mutually agreeable solution. Instead, Peach Buzz loses his wry voice and the paper loses his “reporting experience and deep local connections.”
October 19th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
It would appear that this was the very result the AJC was expecting and Eldredge knew it. In other words, he was deliberately “miserabled” out.
Stay classy, AJC.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Agreed, but Jennifer Brett is a stand-out talent. This is the perfect assignment for her. I will miss Richard, though.
October 19th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Yet another sign that this newspaper is headed for the graveyard. I ended my subscription over a year ago when they downsized the biz section and thanks to the A.B.C. have not missed a beat. Couldn’t be more miserable about my hometown newspaper.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Rich did a great job for the AJC and, while we don’t know the details, it’s sad that his tenure is ending this way.
But I have to agree with Ricky — Jennifer Brett is a very talented writer with a good sense of what’s going on in and around Atlanta. She’ll do a great job, too!
October 20th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I started reading Eldredge when I moved here a decade ago. Enjoyed his work.
I also started reading Brett, and give her kudos for doing a lot of things well — extremely well, on occasion. I fully expect her to excel at this latest assignment, too.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Rich was great at digging out what was really going on around Atlanta, and I am floored by the news he’s been dumped. Did he do something that we don’t know about? Or was this another of the stripping down of the AJC that has left the paper a very creepy shadow of what it once was?
October 21st, 2009 at 10:29 pm
What is this ajc thing you’re all so worked up about? Sounds made up. Is it a new burger with bacon served by a woman named Brett? Hmm: I will look forward to intown dining again then.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I loved her in Grace Under Fire.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Sorry. But Rich had seen better days. He started out VERY strong and kept it up for years, but his last coupe of years at the AJC proved that he had fallen into a Steve & Vickie/Elton/Jane Fonda rut.