David Broder, Tony Kornheiser Take Buyouts At Washington Post

Two big names have accepted buyouts at the Washington Post today, with both veteran political columnist David Broder and sports columnist Tony Kornheiser taking the paper's offer.

The Politico's Michael Calderone reports that Broder announced the news in a note to his column clients, but that he will transition to a contract writer in 2009:

Veteran Washington Post political columnist David Broder is going to take a buyout from the paper. As of Jan 1, 2009, he will become a contract employee of the Post.

Here's a note sent to Broder's column clients, obtained by Politico.

"The column you have been running will not change at all, and you will continue to receive it from The Washington Post Writers Group. I will continue to write from the same office in the Post newsroom and will continue to travel the country to wherever politics is happening. You will find me at the Democratic and Republican conventions this summer and on the campaign trail this fall, just as I have been this winter and spring."

Read the entire note here.

The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg reports that Kornheiser announced the news on his radio show:

Dang. From his radio show a few minutes ago:

"All I ever wanted to be was a newspaper writer," he said, which is likely not something that anyone under the age of 30 will ever say again. "This other stuff is great, but I don't care about it," he continued. "In my mind that's what it says on the headstone, it says 'newspaper guy.' "

But he also said he signed the papers to take the Post's buyout last night, after working here for, I believe, 29 years. He said he still might contract with The Post to do his Talking Points videos and his Page 2 excerpts, and he said some people in the leadership asked him to stay but didn't really insist, and even though he'll keep doing PTI and the radio show and MNF, he said he feared he'd never have the moral high ground again.

Read Kornheiser's complete comments here.

Comments

[bola47]

espn needs to get rid of kornheiser too. he is the worst football color man in the history of broadcasting.

[CompliantMedia]

As an MNF analyst perhaps that is true in many people's eyes, but he is damn good on PTI, which as a retired person I try to never miss. He and Michael Wilbon have wonderful chemistry.

It may have a lot to do with one's sense of humor. He frequently has me in stiches - especially when he titled one of his books "Back for Money".

[eveready]

Kornholer.­....ZZZZZZ­ZZZZzzzzzz­zzzzYAWN. Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out.

Pathetic.

[COMtns]

Dang, he's still doing all the other stuff. It will be a wonderful day when I never have to see or hear this fool again. At least his awful writing I can just ignore. Face it, the man is just a loud-mouth jerk. That's the only thing he's been pushing for ages. He can be louder and more of a jerk than others. He has said anything useful or intelligent about sports in ages.

[robertlockwoodmills]

Does this mean a true investigative newsman will show up at WaPo? It's about time readers were fed something except warmed-over political boilerplate. Broder, in particular, should have been sent out to pasture years ago.

Someday the people who call themselves journalists will regret sitting around for eight years while the country went into the crapper ,and writing nothing of substance.

[CarolinaDem]

Like, hard to imagine seriously counting on it. When we lost WaPo to the Koolaid factory syndicate I lost all faith. There is no journalism. There is no journalism. Just company agitprop.

[jubo]

And Wilbon / Kornheiser endorse... oops sorry; too early; the MSM is milking meaningless banter until...
we are rescued by euthanizing aliens...

[bibimimi]

Broder's been having his shit faxed to him for years.Time to end the charade.
Korny can still annoy us on Monday Night Football.

[sanywhere]

tony got out as did his good friend dan lebatard in miami. they believe that blogs are the new newspapers and many agree. i was not surprised by this.

[doc1400]

What the reader is seeing with this article and many others on this site is an insider view by and for the media. This site is after all a self indulgent tool for media insiders.
Certainly media insiders, especially writers, cannot live with a change in status quo such as the sale of the Washington Post.
No the chosen insiders, the aristocracy elitists of the press cannot be put upon to deal with the everyday problems that life presents to the common man. They are better than that and better that us.

[hilaritee]

What?

[jubo]

Your question is too abstruse to fathom.

[queensboro]

who the hel cares

[Loisebby]

The story here is about Tony, sad to see him go... The Washington Post will not be the same... Although his love is writing I think he's doing a pretty damn a good job on radio and TV... ...spend your mony well...

As for Broder - might as well start digging the hole now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[powkat]

Couldn't David Broder just retire - he's at least 102 and completely out of touch with reality.

[realpolitic]

I think he's 103.

[adzeman]

What will all the village bobbleheads do without their lead idiot? Good God don't tell me he'll move to NPR and finish IT off.

[Irons]

If Broder has to sell his wares in a free market, he's toast.

[LittleBrother]

Broder would make a fine editor-in-chief of the Boca del Vista "Geezer Gazette".

[fightorleave2]

I didn't know anyone read, or cared, what David Broder said anymore.

[qdog112]

I didn't read Kornheiser, but I like him on PTI with his dufus sidekick Wilborne. He's funny as hell.

[Jetling]

Check out his radio podcast off the 3WT. Local DC radio, Mr. Tony style. Great stuff.

[Darsan54]

They did make it a buyout condition that Broder never write anything -- I do mean ANYTHING!!!-ever again right?

[jukesgrrl]

Not just WRITE. A ban on TV appearances is also called for.