As refreshing as it was to read that Reuters fired a photographer for doctoring photos last week, I believe the New York Times has just signaled the end of journalism.

The paper has hired a Hollywood agency to represent its reporters and stories. It’s the first time a newspaper has hired a full-time agent to negotiate the sale of its stories. Evidently, in this day of reality entertainment, the paper has been flooded with requests to turn their news articles into movies, books and tv shows. I guess the Times’ higher-ups got tired of seeing all the “potential revenue” and hired the Hollywod pros to help haul it in.

What happens when editors realize how just how easy it’d be to sell the rights to their story if it was just a little juicier? Or once reporters get their first taste of a little bit of fame REAL fame when they go to the Hollywood movie premiere based on a series they wrote? Or if publishers realize how lucrative movies, books and magazines can be and start looking for stories that would “translate well”?

This is not good.

The Hollywood Reporter initially ran the story which the wires and GalleyCat picked up on.