Journal News Staff Vacate North Westchester Bureau

The Journal News has moved its northern Westchester and Putnam county journalists out of its Mount Kisco bureau and relocated them to its White Plains headquarters, the paper announced Friday evening on its website, LoHud.com.

At least six employees (five reporters and one editor) have made the move to the headquarters, based on a list of staff who cover northern Westchester and Putnam that the paper posted in the statement.

"We remain committed to community journalism and covering northern Westchester and Putnam counties, including with mobile reporters who work outside the office," the paper's statement reads. 

The Mount Kisco office is located at 185 Kisco Ave., in an office building at the intersection with Preston Way. In addition to the White Plains office, the paper has a Rockland County bureau in West Nyack. The lease for the Mount Kisco office expired at the end of February, Publisher Janet Hasson wrote to Patch.

The Gannett-owned daily covers news in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties. Gannett's presence in the area has undergone a series of major changes in recent years. These have included, according to a New York Times report, the 2007 closure The Patent Trader, its weekly, northern Westchester-centric paper, and an announced move last year of the Journal News headquarters from Harrison to White Plains. The Harrison property will become the site of a gym, Lifetime Fitness.

Patch recently received word about the move. Confirmation was sought on Wednesday from Publisher Janet Hasson, who was away at the time. She responded in a Friday email with a link to the announcement.

Follow up questions were sent to Hasson, including why the move was made and whether any non-newsroom staff are still in the Mount Kisco office.

"First we moved from our prior site at One Gannett Drive into our new office space at 1133 Westchester Ave, and the next step was to consolidate our office space in Mt. Kisco  into this new location," Hasson wrote in her response email, referencing the recent move from Harrison to White Plains. "Our lease in Mt. Kisco expired the end of February. We have found the synergy of having our staff in one location beneficial. However, our Mt. Kisco staff will continue to be very engaged and accessible to Northern Westchester residents."

There are no remaining staff at the bureau, Hasson explained, but staff will continue to work in the area.