Reuters picks up retrenched media columnist

Jack Shafer, pictured, based in Washington, will cover media and politics for Reuters. Prior to working at The Washington Post Company’s Slate website Shafer spent 11 years editing two alternative weeklies – San Francisco Weekly and Washington City Paper.

Editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said in an internal announcement on Tuesday: “Jack’s arrival at Reuters adds to a rapidly strengthening opinion and analysis bench. Award-winning writers David Cay Johnston and David Rohde have recently joined Reuters as columnists, Felix Salmon continues to set the pace among financial bloggers, and the Reuters column line-up includes regular contributions from Larry Summers and Mohamed El-Erian.”

New York magazine reported: “The deep-pocketed news service, which under the digital leadership of Chrystia Freeland has been on a hiring spree, began talking to Shafer in June, well before the surprise Slate layoff. No wonder Shafer's post-layoff interviews were so jovial.”

Shafer, who was dropped by Slate only last month, said on Twitter that Reuters editors “interrupted my plans to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, and criticize after dinner with an offer — which I’ve accepted — to write about media and politics for Reuters. I’m damn happy. Thanks, oh, my tweeps.” ■