TypePad Offers to Make Journos into Entrepreneurs

With print media searching for a way to continue its ad-supported life in a world dominated by Google, the folks at TypePad have stepped up to offer a lifeline to recently axed journalists. You know the folks, the ones laid off by the Los Angeles Times, Conde Nast publications and Time Inc., and even website companies such as Gawker Media.

There are thousands of them out there, and TypePad wants to at least offer them the hope of self-sustainability on the web by offering its "Journalist Bailout Program," which includes a TypePad Pro account, enrollment in the Six Apart Media advertising program, and blog promotion via Blogs.com. The deal is for recently unemployed journalists."We're a company founded by bloggers, and we've supported online journalism from the beginning," says a statement from TypePad. "During a time when so many great journalists are worrried about losing their jobs, we want to do what we can to help."

The company has been overrun with out-of-work journos who have taken it up on its offer, leading to delays. "We've gotten a flood of submissions, and hadn't quite planned for this much of a reaction," reads TypePad's statement. "It may take us a day or so to respond, but please keep the e-mails coming."