• February 24, 2009

The New York Post won't be renewing the contract of legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith, citing the need to cut costs, according to the City Room blog on The New York Times Web site. The paper's editor, Col Allan, explained in a letter to Smith: "Like so many other newspapers around the nation, we are buffeted by unprecedented economic gales." However, the flinty editor and sharp-tongued, 86-year-old gossip columnist are said not to get along personally. When the paper reduced her column's frequency last year, Smith told City Room that "I protested. I had meetings with everybody. I carried on. Didn't do any good. Mr. Allan is firmly at the helm of the New York Post, and I was never under the impression that I was his cup of tea." Smith's breathless columns often delivered the dirty lowdown on celebrities and socialites many years her junior. --Erik Sass