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Pollock’s Parting Shot: Breaker presents outgoing business editor Ellen Pollock with a special gift Wednesday evening outside her farewell party. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Welcome to the latest edition of Breaker. If this email has been forwarded, you can subscribe here and send your questions and complaints here. If you have a tip contact the 24/7 Breaker Tip Hotline via text or Signal # 551 655 2343. Anonymity guaranteed!
In tonight’s edition, it was Breaker who first broke the news back in July that after almost a decade leading one of the most prominent news desks at The New York Times, Business Editor Ellen Pollock would be stepping down. So to close out the yarn, it was only fitting that Breaker and our snapper were on a stakeout for Pollock’s official farewell bash Wednesday night by the salubrious surrounds of the Port Authority. Check out the exclusive photo gallery, only in Breaker.
Also, Journo Jobs is back with gigs at The Ankler, Axios, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC and Architectural Digest.
Mentioned tonight: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Ron Lieber, Rob Copeland, Matt Purdy, Noreen Malone, Marc Tracy, Joe Kahn, Jonathan Mahler, Maureen Farrell, John Carreyrou, Brian O’Keefe, David Gelles, Jim Yardley, Barry Meier, Jacob Bernstein, Stuart Emmrich, Rachel Abrams, Jake Silverstein, Jim Rutenberg, Susanne Craig, Jessica Silver-Greenberg, Kirsten Grind, Dean Murphy, Kashmir Hill, Ben Mullin, David Hoffman, Julie Bloom, Katie Robertson, Sapna Maheshwari, Nick Kulish, Michael Grynbaum, Rachel Dry, John Koblin, Jesse Drucker, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Vikas Bajaj, David Enrich, Mohammed Hadi, Vivian Toy, Joe Plambeck, Kirsten Danis, Sarah Bahr, Bill Grueskin, Clay Travis, Matt Calkins, Sarah Scire, Nicholas Thompson, Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein, Olga Tokarczuk, Mark Sweney, Charlotte Tobitt, Travis M. Andrews, Kevin Roose, Casey Newton, and more.
Ellen-A-Palooza
(Exclusive.) On Wednesday night, around 150 New York Times staffers gathered at cocktail bar Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel right by the Port Authority to bid farewell to Business Editor, Ellen Pollock – one of The Gray Lady’s most fascinating and colorful characters.
On their way to the farewell bash, colleagues rolled out the compliments, describing Pollock variously as iconic, wonderful, vicious, a legend, ripper, genius, hysterical, and to at least one staffer “a quirky aunt”.
Executive Editor Joe Kahn, Investigative Reporter Emily Steel, Media Reporter Michael Grynbaum, former Sunday Business Editor, now Styles desk Enterprise Editor, Rachel Dry, Chief Economics Correspondent, Ben Casselman, and her former deputy David Enrich all lined up to give speeches.
Grynbaum noted Pollock’s love of scoops and details. “If Rupert Murdoch goes to the bathroom, I want to hear about it,” the media scribe recounted to the crowd that she had told him. He also recalled how after using the word “tasked” in a story draft, Pollock responded: “Please don’t use this as a verb until after I am dead (and cremated).”
Out of respect to that love of detail, we can report that guests were served fried chicken bites, wagyu sliders, wild mushroom croquettes and a wakame and avocado cup while quaffing specialty cocktails, including the “Whiskey Business,” said to be named in Pollock’s honor.
When we presented Pollock with her parting gift – an official Breaker Baseball Cap – she told us that she was “going into silent mode,” but when she left the shindig, she had a pointed piece of advice for Breaker – read below for her acerbic wit in action and to see a special photo gallery from the event.
Purple Reign: Pollock smiles when greeted by Breaker, happy to see the face behind her favorite media newsletter. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Danis On The Case: New York Times Investigations Editor Kirsten Danis walks the “el cheapo Michael Kors red carpet.” (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Cup of Joe: It was nice to see a campaign-worthy grin as Interim Deputy Biz Editor Joe Plambeck greets Breaker. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Mo the Merrier: Former Biz Day Deputy, Mohammed Hadi, greets Breaker alongside Senior Editor for Newsroom Culture Vivian Toy. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Get Enrich Quick: After her former deputy David Enrich gave a speech roasting her, Pollock brought the house down saying Enrich told her that he was keeping a list of the ten most likely things she said she could be fired over. Pollock added that she knew Enrich, author of several top-selling books, would never release the list as “he couldn’t sell it as a book.” (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Gray Lady Grins: Labor reporter Rebecca Davis O'Brien and Energy and Transportation Editor Vikas Bajaj score the most photogenic award for our stakeout. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Eyes Wide Shut: DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin told Breaker he would think of a one-word response to sum up Pollock and let us know on his way out from the party. Oddly, we never saw the Squawk Box co-host exit through the front door. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Druck And Cover: Investigative reporter Jesse Drucker and Media Reporter Ben Mullin arrive in matching full suit, no tie, straight out of the Times’ newsroom chic catalogue. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Scaffold and Behold: business reporter Sapna Maheshwari and media reporter John Koblin enjoy the stunning surroundings of the Port Authority. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Live and Let Dry: Styles Enterprise Editor Rachel Dry makes a fashionable entrance but not fashionably late. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Pollock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: Ellen Pollock rushes inside the Aliz hotel to try on her Breaker hat. If you too would like a Breaker hat, click here. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Gryn and Bear it: Media reporter Michael Grynbaum and Breaker have a showdown – high-five or shake of the hand? Grynbaum’s speech was voted the best of the night. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Kulish and Tell: Correspondent Nick Kulish uses the “busy on the phone” method to avoid Breaker (and our snapper). (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Dean of the Newsroom: Editor Dean Murphy had no time for a chinwag with Breaker, with too many things to do, places to be and edits to edit. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
Point Breaker: Writer-at-large Jim Rutenberg nails the punchline as journalists Susanne Craig, Jessica Silver Greenberg, Kirsten Grind look on. (Credit: Jesse Ward/COPYRIGHT: BREAKER MEDIA)
MORE PHOTOS BELOW….
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