ALBANY — The Newspaper Guild/CWA of Albany is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction on those responsible for the assault of a Times Union writer and his friend.

Steven Barnes, 40, of Albany, who is a senior writer and does a restaurant review blog for the paper, and 33-year-old Joshua E. Carr of Albany, were attacked Friday by two men in the parking lot of Stuyvesant Plaza. The two men had just left Creo Restaurant about 9:30 p.m. when two men approached them and began punching them.

Barnes suffered scratches and bruises and his friend had a gash over his right eye. The assailants walked away from the parking lot and fled toward Fuller Road and Western Avenue.

"We are very upset that one of our members was attacked, possibly for simply doing his job," said guild President Tim O'Brien. "Our executive board has decided unanimously to put up this reward in the hope it will encourage anyone with information to report it to police."

Guilderland police are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call 356-1501.