Buzz Cut

Former Daily News columnist Harriet Lessy is starting her own communications firm bearing the name of her since-dropped column.

Lessy wrote "Buzz," covering city business, economics and politics, for 10 years. But July 18 was Lessy’s final day at the Daily News. She accepted a buyout offer — the same exit strategy popular with dozens of other Inquirer and Daily News journalists this year. Lessy made the decision to leave after editors pulled her column and changed her beat to general assignment reporting.

"The Daily News no longer was emphasizing business," Lessy says, explaining why "Buzz" was killed.

Using the name Buzz for her new venture "started out as a joke," she says. "[But] what else could I call myself?"

Lessey, who worked in PR before becoming a journalist, will continue to appear on the Channel 6 Sunday morning show Inside Story, hosted by Marc Howard.

—Mary Frangipanni Patel