With layoffs at newspapers continuing as media companies grope with reduced revenue and circulation, at least one company hopes to help. Six Apart, a software vendor that makes the popular TypePad and MoveableType blogging platforms, has launched the “TypePad Journalist Bailout Program.”

The idea is that TypePad will give terminated journalists a free pro account that normaly costs $150 a year. Journalists will also tech support, placement on the company’s blog aggregation site, Blogs.com, and automatic enrollment in the Six Apart advertising revenue-sharing program.

The catch: only 20-30 journalists will be accepted. Which makes the whole program seem more of a publicity stunt than an offer of true value. Nevertheless, some 300 e-mail applications have already come in.