Martin Gee, a designer who was laid off from the Mercury News last year, started a Facebook group six months ago called “Newspaper Escape Plan.” The group has grown to 2,568 members and 39 topics. They’re even selling merchandise, such as the button at right. Gee is perhaps best known for the Flickr photo essay about downsizing at the Merc called “Reduction in Force.” We learned about the escape plan group from this post at fishbowlLA. Gee tells fishbowl:

“News and journalism can evolve but it’s held back with editors’ and owners’ hanging on to newsprint. Newsprint is just a medium. I’m definitely worried about the newspaper industry. I go back and forth sometimes. I want newspapers to do well and evolve. Somedays after reading Romenesko, I want them to die so something else can rise from the ashes. I do have hope for print.”

While we were on Facebook, we noticed another group journalists might want to visit, “I judge you when you use poor grammar.”