The News Journal appears to have filled out its business reporting roster with the hiring of Scott Goss. who has worked as an editor/reporter at the Cecil Whig, Newark Post and Middletown Transcript. Military affairs reporter William McMichael also pitches in from time to time. In other roster moves:
Jennifer Rini is the health reporter, after working as legislative reporter for the Delaware State News.
Xerxes Wilson, not a name you will easily forget, is writing government stories. He formerly worked in Houma, La.
He is no stranger to Basin Road, having worked as an intern with one of the last star reporters of the News Journal, Ginger Gibson. Gibson is best known for her coverage of perennial candidate Christine O’Donnell, who upset Mike Castle in his quest for a U.S. Senate seat. She now works in the Washington, D.C. area after a stint with Politico.
The vacancies opened up as the News Journal went through a reapplication “hunger games” for existing employees. While the headcount is down, a number of staffers decided not to go through the process, retired or found other jobs in the interim, leading to a significant number of vacancies.
NJ veterans also suspect the paper has been able to shed costs that come with retaining long-time employees.
FYI Xerxes goes by Rex.