When The Onion consolidates its entire staff under one roof next June, it will be doing so without its current editor.
Joe Randazzo, who has been with the satirical newspaper since 2006, announced at a comedy show in the East Village on Tuesday night that he would not be joining the staff in Chicago.
It remains to be seen if more editors and writers will turn down the company's offers to move. According to CEO Steve Hannah, "We're in the early stages of a process that will take several months. It's an ongoing conversation with our staff."
Features editor Joe Garden told HuffPost he has yet to make up his mind, while many other staffers declined to comment.
The Onion got its start 23 years ago in Madison, Wis., and many of its current editorial members made the move with it when it came to New York in 2001, including Garden, writers Todd Hanson, Chris Karwowski and Chad Nackers, and sports editor John Krewson.
Hannah addressed the uphill battle he faces in uprooting the staff. "Look, there's no easy way to ask a group of highly creative people to move. They have questions. They are naturally and professionally skeptical. That's to be expected. That said, I remain convinced that having The Onion editorial staff join our Chicago headquarters -- which already houses The AV Club, senior management, sales, tech, design, legal, HR, etc. -- is the best thing for the future of The Onion."
One staffer -- who spoke to HuffPost on condition of anonymity due to uncertainty about their own future with the company -- characterized the situation as a done deal: "They say they've made up their minds, and are confident they can get new hires if a lot of people don't go."
For its part, the city of New York would prefer The Onion stay put. A spokesperson for the mayor's office commented, "We're sorry to see them go. But the good news for New York City is that more and more companies are finding that this is where they want to be."
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