Craig Pittman, environmental reporter for 21 years and author of the popular book Oh, Florida!: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country, was laid off from the Tampa Bay Times this week. Apparently he got a call in the morning, telling him he had to have his desk cleaned out by the end of the afternoon. Craig was not only a diligent reporter for over two decades, he was (is) an author who brought acclaim to his paper through his books (his most recent is on the Florida panther). And for this he was ushered out of the newsroom with all the dignity of someone who had been caught plagiarizing.
