Tell Zell

Here's a Bit of Bright News

2008-09-19T11:09:00.001-08:00

New Publisher Eddy Hartenstein has apparently convinced Jim Newton to come back.

I'm pleased to announce that Jim Newton has agreed to return to The Times to resume his duties as editor of the editorial pages. You all know Jim, so no introduction is needed. I would like to note that his decision to rejoin our enterprise, despite the demands of his book-writing career, is a vote of confidence in what we are trying to accomplish.

He'll start on Monday and report to me. In the meantime, Jim asked that I send along this note:

Rest of email and Jim's mash note to Eddy H. follows

"As you all know, The Times has a special claim on my heart and I'm convinced that Eddy represents our best chance for sustaining and building great journalism. Given that, I'm delighted that he's offered me the chance to return, and I'm thrilled to move back into my old office—the best in the building. See you all in a few days."

Please join me in welcoming Jim back to the team.

eddy

Touching a Nerve

2008-09-18T17:27:00.009-08:00

All right, the Retch knows he's way late on this, but the Dan Neil et al. lawsuit seems to have touched a nerve.

Who knew that Sam Zell -- more likely the thin-skinned Randy Michaels -- cared so much? First, check out the language of the email that Zell sent out to let employees know about the lawsuit:

There is a difference between questioning authority or challenging the "business as usual attitude," and maligning the company in public. That's just bad judgment and does no one any good. It's a distraction that's unnecessary.

We are partners. We need to act like it.

Sam, the time for "acting" like partners ended when you cursed at us; when you denigrated us; when you told us we were overhead; when you fired reporters; when you cut back newshole; when you deprived our readers of information about their lives to make the payments on your over-leveraged debt.

Partner, in case your dictionary knowledge is as lacking as your lackey's grammatical knowledge, is a word which implies equality. But you have never acted as an equal.

We have no power. We have no say. We have never been consulted in a single action that you or any of your cronies have taken in dismantling the Tribune Co. So stop fucking call me your partner. It's patronizing. It's demeaning. And it's wrong.

Then there's the language of the actual press release. The lawsuit is filled with "frivolous and unfounded allegations." Yet Zell mentions not a one. And then he declares himself "outraged."

I don't honestly know where this lawsuit will lead. And I fear that, like most lawsuits, it will be two, three, four years before we find out, by which time Sam will have looted the pension, driven off or fired the best workers and turned the Tribune Company into a television network featuring Bozo 90210 and a few newsletter-sized newspapers.

But I do know who should be outraged. And I know it's not Sam Zell.

The attorneys response to Zell, in a similar vein, follows

In his email to Tribune employees earlier today, Sam Zell dismissed the allegations against him and his co-fiduciaries as “frivolous and unnecessary.” “We are partners,” the email continued, “we need to act like it.”

This statement is a standard Zell response: lacking in specifics and filled with vitriol. The complaint is detailed and the allegations are correct. The complaint asserts that the Tribune ESOP has not provided the rank and file employees with a detailed justification for the Zell acquisition. Ask Sam: where’s the detailed justification? The Tribune pension administrators have not provided the retired Tribune employees with an explanation as to why the pension plan was supposedly over funded by $400 million. This explanation is particularly necessary given the current downturn in the stock market. Ask Sam: where’s the explanation? The directors have established a conflict of interest policy for related party transactions. Ask Sam: explain how the conflict of interest policy has been followed with HIS relatives?

The current and former Tribune employees are not “all in this together” with Sam Zell. The rank and file employees have their jobs and their current and future retirement plans tied up by the machinations of Zell and his co-fiduciaries. Their salaries are low and they see many of their colleagues being let go on a monthly basis. On the other hand, Sam Zell has billions of dollars and does not have his livelihood at stake. For example, Zell’s upcoming birthday party will feature The Eagles. Ask Sam: how many of his “partners” are spending their birthdays in a similar fashion?

Speaking of “maligning the company in public,” we ask that journalists covering this story consider Sam Zell’s prior comments denigrating print journalism. Imagine if the Chairman of Procter & Gamble stated: “I don’t use Ivory Soap. I hate Ivory Soap.” Despite it all, these newspapers are continuing to produce great journalism.

Zell’s comments fail to acknowledge the billions of dollars in debt he caused the Tribune Company to incur, necessitating both the layoffs and the diminishing content of the Company’s newspapers. It is unfortunate that, in typical fashion, Sam Zell is ignoring the rights and neglecting the best interests of the hard-working Tribune employees, whom he cynically refers to as “partners.” Rather than working with his “partners,” he is tearing the company down, brick by brick, and selling it off, in an effort to pay down the massive debt he improperly encumbered the company with. We look forward to cutting through Zell’s self-serving, out of touch rhetoric and fighting for our clients – the Tribune’s real and rightful owners – in court.

In these turbulent times, fiduciaries must act in the best interests of their employees, particularly when they are the “owners” of the company. Zell and his co-fiduciaries have utterly failed to do so as more specifically described in the complaint.

Partners don’t treat partners like Zell treats the Tribune employees.

Passive Voice

2008-09-09T05:14:00.001-08:00

Here's a photo of two of the reigning con artists in the news business: Lee Abrams and Rob Curley.

The two were together in Vegas for the opening of the Society of News Design conference. Together, they crowed many inane, unsupported statements. Lee kicked it off by saying "war has been declared" on newspapers. What a wonderfully bizarre, illogical sentence. By whom? When? And why? Typically, the grammatically challenged Lee offered no answers.

Then there was Rob Curley, formerly at the Washington Post and now at the Las Vegas Sun. If there ever was an heir to the Pied Piper design chicanery of Mario Vargas, and Lee Abrams, it's Curley.

The guy has bounced from newspaper to newspaper, from Kansas, to Florida to Nevada, spouting local, local nonsense, criticizing news coverage, and leaving sky high bills for expensive, unproven tech toys like live broadcasts of high school football games. And yet he has never, ever increased circulation anywhere.

How do these charlatans get away with this? Why does design ever trump the simple editorial imperative of telling good stories? How long do the emperors get to run around naked?

A Spade A Spade

2008-09-08T20:48:00.004-08:00

Aging Tribune Wonder Ad Kid John T. O'Loughlin wrote an email just before the Sunday publication of the first edition of the new Los Angeles Times Magazine that laid bare the truth: the magazine is explicitly and exactly an ATM for the Tribune.

He announces the sudden and unceremonius departure of Publisher Valarie Anderson, who was only named as head of the new magazine in July.

Next, he says that ad reps are encouraged to share the magazine with advertisers to "get your feedback on any gaps or obstacles you see in closing business." He pleas for more material to fill pages before the next edition closes on Sept. 22. He ends the email with the admonition "Thanks for your help - and good selling."

Other comments and criticism of the vacuous new glossy at LA Observed.

Full email follows
From: O'Loughlin, John
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2008 9:59 AM
To: XXXX
Subject: Magazine debut and staffing change

First issue of LA will debut in our Sunday paper tomorrow. Once you
have had the opportunity to spend some time with it, I hope you agree
that it's a terrific, if not stunning, book and at 144 pages, a vibrant
mix of unique content and an inviting environment for/of advertising.

We are planning on 2 more issues in 2008, with the next one dropping on
Sunday October 5th. In addition we are planning on 13 issues for 2009,
and recognizing we are in the sweet spot for client planning
cycles/RFPs, will have the themed roster, dates, etc to you in the
coming days.

Organizationally, we are also making several changes that you need to
know:

- Valarie Anderson will be leaving to pursue other career opportunities,
effective immediately

- A new publisher will be named as soon as possible and that search is
now underway. In the interim, the Fashion and Magazine sales teams will
report to Lynne Segall until a replacement is named.

- Nora Gervais will take the sales lead for all things related to the
Magazine. I cannot say enough about Nora's leadership and salesmanship,
particularly of late. With her tenacity - and your help - the magazine
will grow and flourish.

Nora, Lynne, Anna, Jamie, Sara, and me will be contacting you directly
in the next few days to ensure you have copies to share with clients,
needed collateral, etc - and to get your feedback on any gaps or
obstacles you see in closing business. I firmly believe having issue in
hand will help the sales process immensely. Nothing succeeds like
success itself - and the first issue is a success.

The immediate challenge: the deadline for space is little more than a
week away, with material due on 9/22. I am appealing to your sense of
teamwork and commitment to winning to help pull out all the stops in
closing pages as we move through this start-up and publisher transition
period.

If you have questions, suggestions, thoughts - please send them to me.
Thanks for your help - and good selling. Best, JTO

Orzellian

2008-09-08T03:33:00.000-08:00

Sam Zell was apparently upset that BusinessWeek portrayed him as an overleveraged, under-intellectualized nimrod in an article this summer.

Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman wrote a letter complaining that the article was a "disappointing compilation of inaccuracies, half-truths, and incomplete reporting."

Only the problem is, Weitman did not point out a single inaccuracy or half-truth. He disputed not a single fact in the article. As for "incomplete," BusinessWeek actually published a transcript of Zell's interview, letting him prattle on far longer than anyone has a right to do.

The Retch is not an idealist. But for the owner of a media company dedicated to telling the truth, Zell has shown precious little regard for it himself. He has tried to manipulate reports on the company's financial health. And now he is deploying the cheap rhetorical techniques of a propagandist to smear a completely accurate news article.

Not only that, but the Tribune letter itself is full of miraculous and unsupported claims. Weitman says that the Tribune is currently building some kind of Willy Wonka type software that will "ingest" any type of content--video, audio, text--and spit it out onto any type of platform--the web, Kindle, newsprint.

This magical software is one of Randy's favorite topics, and the language in Weitman's letter exactly mirrors Randy's previous comments about it. (Meaning, in all likelihood, that the notoriously thin-skinned Randy is probably the Zellot behind the duplicitous counter attack on BusinessWeek).

But the idea that the Tribune has some secret Skunk Works capable of churning out a piece of software that has been the Holy Grail for the entire Internet era is totally preposterous. I mean, if the Tribune actually has a beta, alpha or theta version of that kind of universal digital data software, I hope they put it out soon. It would save the entire company.

Then, Weitman claims that "we're also resizing (our papers) to better match user habits. We can't afford to print a two-hour read when consumers typically spend only 20 minutes with the paper."

Only we don't do that. Nobody expects a newspaper to be read front to back. A newspaper is a smorgasbord. There's supposed to be a little something for everybody, so some people read sports, while others read Marmaduke. It's not a book that you're supposed to read from the front page and finish two hours later when you get done with the truss ads. So if Randy & Co. think that they will increase readership by shrinking the newspapers into the size of a PTA newsletter, they're out of their minds. A tiny newspaper will attract fewer readers, not more.

In a final instance of suspect verbage, Weitman claims that "there are many examples of change at Tribune—driven not just from the top, but from the thousands of employees who believe in this industry and, most importantly, in our company."

The Retch realizes that "many" is a classic journalism weasel word--most any quantity can be called many--but why can't Weitman give at least one or two examples? 'Cuz the Retch is having a hard time thinking of any major changes to this company driven by a rank and file employee and not one of the Zidiots. For a company supposedly owned by and run for the benefit of employees, the Tribune management's changes--firings, downsizing, shrinking of the product--mostly have damaged this company's long term value.

Weitman closes his non-complaint letter--lacking a single example of error--by saying that the Tribune is attacking BusinessWeek's reporting because "occasionally the claims are so egregious we have to set the record straight."

The Retch totally understands.

The Evidence Mounts

2008-09-02T17:18:00.004-08:00

A fellow Retcher pointed out this little noticed bit of news that crossed PR wires. It seems that the Tribune has inked a deal to carry local broadcasts of NFL games. Further proof that Zell has no real interest in maintaining serious newspapers. He wants a broadcast company, with a dash of breaking local news gathering capability. Much cheaper and much more profitable than running a full fledged newsroom--at least in the short term.

Full PR release after

Tribune Inks Deal With National Football League

Company Wins Local Market Over-The-Air Rights To Six Games Carried By NFL Network

CHICAGO, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribune Company today announced that it has obtained the local market over-the-air broadcast rights for six National Football League games carried by the NFL Network during the regular season. The agreement allows Tribune's stations in New York, Dallas, San Diego, New Orleans, Denver, and Indianapolis to broadcast games that would otherwise be available only to cable and satellite television subscribers in those markets.

The schedule includes one of two regular season games between the New York Jets, led by newly-acquired quarterback Brett Favre, and last year's AFC Champion New England Patriots.

"Partnering with the NFL to bring these games to a broad audience in these markets is a real demonstration of our commitment to staying hyper-focused on local programming," said John Hendricks, Tribune Broadcasting's executive vice president/interactive and broadcast sales. "There's nothing bigger than the NFL and these games will deliver big ratings for our advertisers."

Business Moves

2008-08-27T09:43:00.004-08:00

So Eddy has made some moves on the business side. He's brought in Scott McKibben--controversial, though experienced--to head up the business end of things.

And then there's the new Zetabid to sell distressed properties. It was obviously in the works before Eddy, but will go forward under his watch.

To these, the Retch says bravo. These are the first smart things that the Zellots have done. They are finally focusing on the business side of the paper. Introducing new products, bringing in new leaders. This is where the salvation of the newspaper lies.

Firing journalists, creating half-witted redesigns, cutting back newshole. Those are all things that lessen the entire reason for being of the newspaper: publishing news.

Investing in the business side, inventing new streams of revenue? See a hole in the real estate market? A demand that needs filling? That's smart business.

Of course there are reasons to wonder. The Retch is especially interested to know how high and wide the wall is between the remnants of editorial's real estate reporters and the new Zetabid product. (Will we see more and more stories about distressed properties and the fabulous solution found in Zetabid?). The chance for conflict of interest is obviously great. But no more so than in any other advertising/editorial overlap area.

So here's to a potentially bright idea. And hopes for more to come.

Full memo on Scott's hiring from Eddy (or "eddy" as he signs himself) follows:

I am pleased to announce that Scott McKibben has joined the Los Angeles Times Media Group as our Executive Vice President/Chief Revenue Officer, reporting to me. Scott comes to us directly from the Community Newspapers Division of Freedom Communications (which includes more than 70 newspapers, including the Orange County Register). He’s served as publisher and president of The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colorado since 2006 and, earlier this year, he was also named vice president of Freedom’s Central Region, which includes The Gazette and also The Lima News in Lima, Ohio; The Telegraph in Alton, Illinois; the Journal-Courier in Jacksonville, Illinois; and The Tribune in Seymour, Indiana.

Scott began his own newspaper career back in the 70s and he’s been involved in all facets of our industry ever since. He began as a retail sales account executive for the Green Bay Press-Gazette and went on to hold other sales positions at newspapers in South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Since then, he’s gone on to become president and publisher at the San Francisco Examiner & Independent Newspaper Group; president and publisher at ANG Newspapers in Oakland; publisher at both The Topeka Capital-Journal in Kansas and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in Texas; and the vice president and general manager at the Dallas Times Herald. This is just a small sampling of Scott’s impressive resume. In other words, Scott already knows all the key players in our industry and how newspapers work—no learning curve here.

As for his new role at The Times, all areas of sales will roll up under him. This includes display and classified advertising, niche, and integrated sales. Most importantly, Scott has worked in California and knows our marketplace. He’s lived and breathed newspapers all his life and understands the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. He’s been working through those same issues right along with us at his own paper—and knows where we need to go so we can succeed and prosper long into the future.

You’ll be hearing from Scott in the days to come. In the meantime, please join me in welcoming him to his new home at the Los Angeles Times Media Group.

eddy

A Tribute to Lee

2008-08-26T08:45:00.002-08:00

Depths of Summer Part 2 Guest Post! This time from ex-Times reporter and current OC blogger William Lobdell, inspired by Lee Abram's latest bromide.

You all have to admit Lee Abrams is a genius — especially if he doesn’t have naked photos of Sam Zell stashed away somewhere.

Who else in America can earn a massive paycheck writing bizarre stream-of-consciousness memos and rehashing tired ideas from the late 20th century and pass them off as a way to “reinvent” today’s journalism?

My hat’s off to him.

Today I checked out the Baltimore Sun’s new redesign, a vision of Abrams. There’s some promise there, but the website is almost impossible to navigate. Don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself.

At any rate, here’s a clue for Abrams (and those web folks who have to deal with him). Newspapers (and their websites) have three advantages over the rest of the media: the ability to cover breaking news in a superior fashion, the resources to report in-depth on stories and the history to offer readers a vast reservoir of information in text and photos.

When I was at Los Angeles Times, I could never figure out why the newspaper didn’t promote the richness of its archives. I once wrote a memo to say The Times should sell its historic photos – it would be a nice revenue generator and provide a wonderful service to its readers. But I was told that was something “we don’t do.”

Not to sound like Abrams, but just think of what’s archived in the 125-year history of The Times: movie reviews for “The Wizard of Oz,” “Gone with the Wind,” and “North by Northwest.” Plus, critiques of “The Great Train Robbery,” “Easy Rider,” and hundreds of other classic movies.

This vault of history could be opened for hundreds of other subjects of interest. For instance, what USC football fan wouldn’t want to read articles on every game of historic significance and be willing to purchase photos of Trojan triumphs throughout the years? Wouldn’t readers love to read obituaries throughout the years?

The lesson: leverage your strengths. If you are The Times, and you have 125 years of history behind you, use it. No one else has that.

Local, Local, Nocal?

2008-08-26T08:40:00.004-08:00

It's late in the summer and time for Guest Post!

Gentle readers will remember that Zell and crew tout local, local, local news as the salvation of the Los Angeles Times. A former Times reporter who takes his paper seriously had this to say on how well they have delivered.

I made the mistake of picking up today's LA Times California section. As a reader, I felt angry and betrayed. Earlier in the year, I stood in a meeting room in the LA Times Washington bureau and listened to Mr. Zell and Mr. Michaels tell us that local news was the end all and be all. That local news, like the Santa Ana city council, was what readers cared about. That they were going to add to local news, and to do that they would have to cut "overhead" in DC.

It's August--six months after Zell's DC appearance. Where's the local news? The metro section is a shell. Today there were four stories on the cover, one of them a column from Sacramento, and two tiny news stories inside. That's it. Another column, a page of photos and obits. Nothing about the Santa Ana city council. Here's a ratio: a paper with 5 local stories means one story for every 2 million people in Los Angeles County. Or 1 story for every 3 million people in Southern California.

Even after several cycles of brainless cutting, the LA Times has lots of talented reporters and editors. They're still full of ideas and vigor, and they're probably producing lots of excellent stories. But apparently in the Zell era, we no longer get to read more than a handful of such stories in one sitting. This is the Catch 22 world of the diminished Times. Stories pile up quickly in hold folders because there's no space to run them. Readers flee because there's nothing to read.

The point of the newspaper is to deliver lots of news to readers. There's plenty of local news out there. When do we get to read it?

Lee's Loves His Ideas

2008-08-25T11:27:00.007-08:00

Lee Abrams has posted his latest rambling on the Baltimore Sun redesign. Guess what? He loves what he did to the place!

Check out the Sun's new redesign today, which includes a full-length body shot for columnists on the front page. (Steve Lopez, hope you're working on those abs.) You can also see the "reinvention" here.

Here's Lee's take, and take, and take, and take. Highlights include:

* His next target is the Tribune's opinion sections:

OPINION PAGE: This is probably the number-one location that needs rethinking. If opinions are important, then make them as attractive as possible. This page is not sacred.

* He is apparently unaware that the Cubs are being sold, since he puts a big focus on the Chicago Tribune boosting circulation by having a kiosk in the stadium.

WRIGLEY KIOSK: Do we have one? We should. We own it, and there's 42,000 there every game. As long as we own the Cubs, we need to maximize the relationship.

* Lee goes green in his latest display of newspaper ignorance, since he apparently believes that newspapers are the people picking and choosing ad stock:

GREEN: In mailers, use recycled paper. More and more people are aware of this inheirant environmental problem with things printed.

If there's one thing the Retch hates, it's inheirant problems.

* He wants to create a reader reward program that includes a prize to "meet a Garth Brooks (easily doable)." It's hard to discern, as many things are when it comes to Lee, what this means exactly. The reader gets to meet "a" Garth Brooks, presumambly not the real guy. And this is "easily doable" for reasons unclear. That's gonna rock circulation.

You know one thing that Lee never mentions in his posts? Improving the journalism. These redesigns may be jazzy, exciting or vomit-inducing, take your pick. But they are nothing but a flash for a day or two. And then the paper goes back to being the newspaper. Where you get news. Not fireworks or Jackson Pollack lookalikes.

If you don't improve the news -- the gathering, writing and editing of news -- your are not really improving the newspaper. It's nothing but deck chairs.

Lee Abrams memo follows. In yet another demonstration of his Internet ignorance, he includes a link that will take you to an oversubscribed file that you can no longer download. Just try the links above if you want to see the actual redesign. Here's the memo.

THINK PIECE: THE NEW SUN HAS RISEN

The Baltimore Sun has launched their re-invented newspaper. Take a look at it. It was Tim Ryan, Tim Franklin, Tim Thomas and Monty Cook (a lot of Tim's) that led the charge with more than a little help from literally every other part of the Baltimore Sun organization. I was told this newspaper would be "tough." I heard they were conservative, kind of stuck in the old tradition. Well, that was VERY wrong. They came to the table and delivered an amazing product. They blew up the playbook and created a Baltimore Sun for 2008 Baltimore. as with all of the re-invents, it is 100% the work of the dedicated and passionate people in the building that understand their market and despite the extraordinary challenges and issues, come through with some pretty bold new thinking with the idea of reversing the trends and creating a positive new era for their papers.

They came to the table and delivered an amazing product. They blew up the playbook and created a Baltimore Sun for 2008 Baltimore. as with all of the re-invents, it is 100% the work of the dedicated and passionate people in the building that understand their market and despite the extraordinary challenges and issues, come through with some pretty bold new thinking with the idea of reversing the trends and creating a positive new era for their papers.

First week of the Sun Sentinel reinvent, and as of last Wednesday when I checked last, there have been a grand total of zero stops. Click this link to see some comments: http://www.visualeditors.com/apple/2008/08/live-pages-from-the-sunsentinel-redesign/. They're from other designers (not exactly the pulse of the mainstream public), but they're interesting nonetheless. Reports are all positive from South Florida, including some excellent advertiser reaction.

As most everyone knows, Eddy Hartenstein has the keys to the LA Times. He's a highly respected media pioneer with an outstanding track record, and the Times should do well under his leadership. With Eddy, Russ Stanton and scores of smart people, their best days are ahead. As it's the #1 media market on the planet, the upside is enormous. I'd bet that those guys will make things happen.

At The Chicago Tribune, there's a reinvent swat team coming up with some things that are going to be shockingly good. Joe Knowles and his team are challenging every rule in the book. At first they may have understandably been a bit reserved, but that reservation is on the sidelines. Every day they deliver better and newer thinking. The new Chicago Tribune will be outstanding.

A few of the things we've learned and continue to think through from the reinvents that I think all papers should think about :
—Branding the website. Take it beyond a newspaper site to something that shows the incredible depth that the site offers. Encourage exploration. Talk to the fact that it's an information goldmine instead of assuming people know about it. Many already do — but branding it will make magnify its viability.
I think there are five key components:

1. Thinking "headlines." Just as a headline draws print readers into a story, a web driver should be compelling enough to draw people to the website. Imagine if the front of a section said "For More Read Below".
2. A logo. A good one that gives our site a visual identity as a "place" more than a service.
3. A slogan that re-enforces what the site is all about. I don't think print newspapers need slogans because they're pretty well-defined, but I'm not sure our site is defined yet, beyond simply being the web branch of the paper. A slogan can sell the depth of information.
4. Looking for opportunities to drive people to the web by using the print edition. These should be more than an afterthought. We need to really think "OK...what's the web angle here."
5. Reasons for readers to go to the website after they're done with the paper include:
—Stats. The paper needs to be stat heavy because America loves numbers and visuals, and we can really go wild online.
—Depth. If the print edition offers a quick read and a complete story, the web is the place to dive deep into ANY topic.
—Video.
—Novelty. The web can get pretty creative in a way print can't.
—Exploration. It's a library at your fingerprints.
NOTE: These reasons may seem obvious, but the competition on the web is so intense that I think we need to inform and remind people of what our site is all about. What they can get there that they can't get anywhere else.
It's all about building an identity for the web. We need to tell people that it's more than the newspaper's website. We need to give them reasons to go there beyond saying it's the print paper repeated online. It doesn't take a lot of space ... just a little more oomph within that space.
LOGOS: With any feature or ongoing story, give readers a nontraditional logo. A logo will make the story scream out, and it will give you, the editors and the reporters more credit. It's easy to do, and it looks modern.
BIG DAY MENTION: I like the Monday reference. It adds an immediacy, a "today" feel. A 2x4 five-day preview on the website is a tool to drive web readers back to print. There's no reason we shouldn't only drive readers to the web. Immediacy and forward view are two things we can deliver better.
PREVIEWS: They can be newsy, not just "things to do." Establish yourself as a FORWARD-LOOKING paper. Create information anticipation. Point people forward. Show them you are more than yesterday's news.
STARS: Make stars an opinion trademark. Why only movies? Use a starring system to display the newspaper's opinion on restaurants, events, etc. This will probably fall under the "we do that already" category, but the thing is few do a better job of reviewing than newspapers. We need to give those reviews more tools for discovery. A higher profile.

PARENTS: Isolate the kids' events and give parents a single spot to find places to take the kids.

OPINION PAGE: This is probably the number-one location that needs rethinking. If opinions are important, then make them as attractive as possible. This page is not sacred.

A FEATURE THAT LISTS COOL WEBSITES: We do it with movies and TV — why not the web?

SECTION NAMES: Even "Obituaries" can have a new name that is more reflective and honorific.
Met with a VERY impressive Circulation team in Chicago, led by Tony Hunter and Kathleen O'Hara. I believe engaging ALL sides of a newspaper in a reinvent is critical, but from what I gather, it's not always what happens. Here in Chicago, there was this "secret society" leading the evolution. The results were, as you might guess, secret. Now we've engaged people from all areas and the momentum is astounding.

The following are some notes I took , none of these earth shattering, but part of the marketing mix that is an important ingrediant in moving forward :

SUBSCRIBER ADVANTAGE: This thing is huge, but it's a mystery to the general public. We need to blow this out. Make it bigger than life. Somehow, some way, we need to make "membership" automatic to ALL subscribers. We need to alert Joe Average that this exists. I'd use the "fantasy" aspect (throw out the first pitch at Wrigley ... tour Wrigley behind the scenes ... meet a Garth Brooks (easily doable) ... a "guest DJ" spot on WGN). These are fantasies that ONLY SA can get you. Fantasy is red hot. It's a big selling point. I head it referred to as SA. Let's call it that. Just like American Frequent Flyers is AADVANTAGE with a distinct logo, SA should have a logo. A handle. "Subscriber Advantage" is too bland in light of the amazing stuff the program offers. I cant stress enough how the components of this program can move the needle, BUT only if brought out into the mainstream better.

GREEN: In mailers, use recycled paper. More and more people are aware of this inheirant environmental problem with things printed.

I'D LOSE: "What's in it for me?" It's a question that can't be answered. Lame. I'd suggest a statement, a here's-what-we-are rather than something as "markety" as that question. It's too 1950s.

SEASON SELL: I wonder if, in addition to price points, you can sell seasonality and position Tribune as a must-have product to survive the winter, for example. The Tribune has: Unparalleled Bears coverage, winter weather with Tom Skilling, Christmas bargains, gas prices and home heating.

WRIGLEY KIOSK: Do we have one? We should. We own it, and there's 42,000 there every game. As long as we own the Cubs, we need to maximize the relationship.

Also, I thought this was an interesting article, though it's a little long:
SPECIAL REPORT: Turn and Face the Change -- With Newspaper Industry in Crisis, 'Everything's on the Table'

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003841443

Don't Let the Door Hit You

2008-08-22T16:06:00.004-08:00

It's the end of an era at Newsday, the Long Island-based paper that once made a strong play for the New York market with in-depth coverage and a separate city edition. Sam Zell sold the paper this summer to Cablevision for $650 million. He told the new owners to get the Zell out of the old Tribune office by today, or face daily rent charges, according to a correspondent. The pic above documents workmen taking down the large blue and white NEWSDAY sign that used to hang in the entrance of the Tribune's New York offices.

Bye Lines, LA Times

2008-08-22T14:58:00.002-08:00

Another round of farewell emails. Photog Bob Carey penned one of the best goddamned exits in a while. Full text:

I am a very lucky man. I've spent the last 24 years at the Los Angeles Times as a photographer and a photo editor. I can tell you what it's like in the eye of a typhoon, in a firestorm, under an offshore oil platform or the wrong side of the green line in Mogadishu. I know what a whale feels like and I've buzzed icebergs. I've had lunch with rock stars and seen President's sweat. I've tried to get Carolyn Cole out of jail, even.

When I die, I hope I have a bag of popcorn, because if my life flashes by, it's going to be a hell of a show.

Best of all, I've had the pleasure of your company. I can't imagine a more engaging, talented and dedicated group of people anywhere. Years ago, I was cooling my heals at some news event next to a New York Times reporter who had worked here. She said, "Oh! The Los Angeles Times! The New York Times is warm on the outside but cold on the inside. The Los Angeles Times is warm on the outside and warm on the inside."

Civility. Kindness. Fairness. Intelligence. These are the qualities that pervade the Los Angeles Times. Stay here for a while, and it get's in your blood.

Those folks who pine for the demise of the gatekeeper media don't know squat. What people really want out of the news business is a fair shake. We do that here. We worry about the truth and getting it right the first time.

There were 1,200 of us, but now there are a little more than half of that. I like to think that the Los Angeles Times is not so much diminished as dispersed. All those folks who have left the building still carry the Los Angeles Times spirit around with them. It's my turn to join them.

I am a very lucky man.

Bob Carey

Liar, Liar, Pantz on Fire

2008-08-22T14:29:00.003-08:00

Yesterday, Zell gave an exlusive interview to Bloomberg Television. There, he boasted that he will have no problem paying off the massive $13 billion debt which he owes from his purchase of the Tribune Co.

The newspaper publisher has no liquidity issues and can handle scheduled debt payments for the next seven years, Zell said.

``We don't have any real maturities that aren't covered until 2015,'' he said.

The market called bullshit the very next day. On Friday, Fitch Ratings dropped the Tribune's debts to junk status. The paper was in danger of defaulting on its loans.

Fitch Ratings, citing the "rapidly deteriorating" conditions in the newspaper industry, lowered its ratings on Tribune Co.'s $13.4 billion in outstanding debt.

Given the accelerating decline in newspaper advertising revenue and cash flow at the Chicago media holding company, Fitch said, and in view of the fact that there is "no evidence" the pressures on the industry will be relenting any time soon, Fitch lowered its issuer default rating from "B-minus" to "CCC."

A "CCC" rating, the rating concern said, indicates that there is a "real possibility" the issuer could default. The low rating also suggests that the issuer's ability to meet financial commitments "is vulnerable to deterioration in business and economic conditions," Fitch said.

Wanna bet what happened here? Zell gets word that Fitch is going to cut his bonds to junk. So he gives this full-of-crap, last-minute interview to try to spin the results around. Who do you believe? The man with a financial interest? Or the market?

The whole performance was just another show of the total contempt that Zell has for journalism. Sam Zell is now the owner of a media company. He's supposed to have at least some tangential deference to the truth. Instead, he showed that he views the media as nothing more than a glorified marketing tool. Not a bad business tactic, perhaps. But not something you'd like to see in a newspaper publisher.

New (Baltimore) Sun Rises

2008-08-22T14:07:00.005-08:00

After 171 years, The Sun is no longer.

The Zellots have redubbed it The Baltimore Sun as the paper today became the third in the Tribune chain to unveil a Lee Abrams-fueled redesign. The new, even more local Baltimore Sun created a website where readers and advertisers can see the breathtaking new design which will boost circulation, draw in advertising and make blue crabs return to the Chesapeake Bay. There's also a video by Editor Tim Franklin explaining the whole thing.

Gratuitous Update: The Retch would love to know how much time and money the Sun management spent on this sooperkool site. You'll remember that the Sun has had trouble in recent days keeping its regular website running. I can't even remember a recent blow-out Sun web project that had this much effort put into it.

Here's hoping the redesign works. But given the zippo response to the redesigns of the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Retch isn't hoping for much. Check out this devastating review of the practical effects of the redesigns at those two papers. Readers "just didn't care," says BrassTacksDesign, which compared the redesigns of Florida papers owned by the Tribune and the New York Times:

The people we're trying to reach are called readers for a reason: because they read. But there is precious little to read on these pages. With pages getting narrower, and fewer of them to print upon, newspapers cannot afford to squander space on oversized clip art as seen in the prototypes.

The Sentinel's marketing message was "FAST AND FOCUSED." But "LOOKS GREAT, LESS FILLING" might have been more accurate.

Ouch. That last line could have come straight from a Lee Abrams memo.

FlotSam, JetSam and Eddies

2008-08-21T10:36:00.006-08:00

Roy Rivenburg's Not The LA Times has a new edition, including a send up of new publisher Eddy Hartenstein. That didn't take long, did it?

The Retch's mailbox did fill with articles about Eddy and the hot rod deal after the announcement naming him publisher. The deal was mentioned briefly in the Times announcement and there were articles on its failure at the time and on automotive blogs.

Basically, Eddy led a group of investors who were trying to buy out the National Hot Rod Assn., based in Glendora. The $121-million deal fell through at the last minute in February. No funny business, the reports said. Blame fell on the collapse of the credit market.

The only discord to enter the Retch's mind was the randomness of the thing. Why was Eddy mucking about in hot rod associations? It reeks a bit of the dilettante bazillionaire, looking for something to do. Which is exactly what brought us Sam Zell.

And speaking of Zell, don't forget that at the end of the day he's still in charge, no matter how much we secretly wish that Eddy is our paladin. With that grim image in mind, the Retch notes that the Teamsters in the press room are reporting progress on their contract negotiations, including setting up language about seniority.

Don't let the torpor of August keep you from thinking about organizing with your fellow employees. Come fall, you're going to want a seat at the table.

Bull's Eye

2008-08-21T10:05:00.005-08:00

News of the new national and foreign editors raises all kinds of questions about whither the LA Times.

First, with ex-Foreign editor Marjorie Miller and National Editor Scott Kraft shuffled off to sinecures as "senior correspondents," the Dean Baquet era is officially over. We gots new editor; managing editor; metro editor; national editor; foreign editor; calendar editor -- anybody left over?

Second, National seems in good stead with Roger Smith, an experienced hand and proven editor. But Bruce Wallace as foreign editor? Bruce is a nice guy and a gifted writer, but does he have the bureaucratic knife fighting skills needed for future cutbacks? He's relatively new to the paper and totally new to the terrordome of the Glass Offices. Will he be able to withstand attacks on his empire?

Speaking of that empire, the Retch just noticed that the Times foreign staff has shrunken quiet a bit without anybody noticing.

The paper lists 28 reporters in 22 bureaus. By my count, eight of those reporters are either leaving the paper or headed back for the U.S.: United Nations correspondent Maggie Farley left the paper. Carol Williams is out of the Caribbean. Bruce Wallace leaves Japan to become the foreign editor. Alex Zavis' tour of Baghdad is over and she's returning. Ching-Ching Ni is leaving China. Kim Murphy is returning to Seattle from London. Hector Tobar is soon returning from Mexico City. Geraldine Baum in Paris will be going back to the U.S. shortly.

That's in effect nearly a one-third reduction in the foreign staff.

Moreover, the coverage map changes. The LA Times will have one person to cover all of Europe: Henry Chu in London (Sebastian Rotella is in Madrid, but he does mostly investigative work). Not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly a change.

The Retch wishes Bruce the best. But I fear that his section is in the cross hairs without any bullet proof armor.

Chicago Tribune Vision Quest

2008-08-20T20:28:00.007-08:00

New Chicago Tribune Editor Gerry Kern laid out his grand vision for the "reinvention" of the Chicago Tribune in an email and memo to staffers today. He basically thinks the Tribune should be more like an iPhone. Readers should love us and think we're cool!

He also includes this cryptic, Learyesque catchphrase: "The experience of the news is as important as the news itself." Maybe it's the smoke rolling out of Lee Abram's office. But I'm thinking Kern is saying that reading the paper while crapping on the john is the same thing as Russia invading Georgia.

Now that, my friends, is vision. You can catch Gerry talking about his salad days at Indiana University, should you want more bio. Via Romenesko.

Here's the email:

Colleagues:

What do you see in our newspaper's future?

Do you see a bleak time ahead of continued decline with more layoffs like those we endured last week? Or do you see brighter possibilities that can be achieved through hard work and resourcefulness? The way you answer these questions will determine your success and ours.

I see tremendous opportunities amid all the uncertainty. Everyone who remains at this great newspaper must now commit to the work required to realize them. Our success begins with the belief that it is possible.

The rest of the email and accompanying "Vision" memo follow the jump.
Like other news organizations, we are adapting to the new realities of the information marketplace. Audiences are fragmenting across an expanding array of digital media. Advertising dollars, already scarce because of a cyclical downturn, are following that shift.

We're now in transition to a new media environment. We don't know exactly what this will look like or how long it will take. We clearly are moving toward becoming a 24/7 online business that also publishes in print once a day.

While there are unknowns ahead, we are not powerless. There is much we can do to create the future we all want. We can become relentlessly entrepreneurial about expanding our audiences by ensuring that everything we do is rooted in meeting consumers' needs and desires.

Long before the rise of electronic media, dozens of newspapers circulated on the streets of major American cities, each competing on the strength of a story to strike a chord with readers. Success was easily measured: How many papers did we sell today? Today, web sites have replaced street hawkers clutching papers, and we can instantly measure response via clicks.

But let's be clear. The good old days weren't all that good. There were excesses, and often newspapers had few qualms about pandering to make a sale. Over the decades, journalism became a profession and embraced high ethical standards. Accuracy, fairness and courageous public service became the heart of our mission. They remain so today.

But a fundamental truth endures: Without an engaged audience that finds value in what we offer, we cannot succeed. Journalism is not an abstraction that exists apart from the audience. It must deliver what the audience needs and wants.

I have been listening to readers for years, in research studies, in focus groups and individually. They want us to investigate public issues, stand up for our communities, hold our government officials accountable, tell them the bad news they need to know and connect them to the larger world.

But readers want us to do a lot more. They want practical information and advice they can use in their daily lives. They want us to tell fascinating stories that they can share—and those don't always have to be the "important" stories of the day. They want us to entertain them, too.

People have many choices for news and information, and if we're not prepared to give them what they want, they can—and will—go elsewhere.

One of the most revealing insights from recent research is how little excitement some people feel about their daily encounter with us. Many of our regular readers regard us like the electric company or water utility. Yes, everyone wants electricity and water and it's a pain to do without them. But your soul just isn't stirred by the sight of working faucet or wall socket.

I realize that this perception is unfair and that it does not fully match reality. The Chicago Tribune routinely publishes groundbreaking investigations and is filled with compelling stories, columns and other features that deliver on our promise to readers. Your great work is evident in each edition. But perceptions count, too. We have work to do in changing them.

Think about the products that you love most. Maybe it's your iPhone. It's your personal portal to the universe of information and human interaction. It's your music library, video player and photo album, ready to respond to the moment and your mood. You love your iPhone because of the richness of the overall experience, not just its functionality.

That's emotional engagement.

And that's the keystone idea in the vision driving the Chicago Tribune's editorial reinvention. I've attached an outline of the vision and supporting principles that the newsroom redesign team has developed. We'll be sharing more with you shortly about the new Tribune, but first it is important to share the thinking behind it.

Here is the essence:

The experience of the news is as important as the news itself. We will strengthen our bond with readers by giving them the news, information and irresistible storytelling they desire in their lives. We will enlighten, provoke, surprise and entertain them. We want them to say, "This is my Tribune and I can't get along without it."

Readers will embrace us as their Tribune if they see themselves, their lives, their circumstances, their interests reflected on our pages. If they see that we provide solutions to their problems, we will become their indispensable survival guide to the complexities of life. If they find our personalities and experts stimulating, enlightening and entertaining, readers won't want to miss a single edition.

And we will succeed.

Gerry

Vision for reinventing the Chicago Tribune

Our goal:

Emotional engagement: The experience of the news is as important as the news itself. We will strengthen our bond with readers by giving them the news, information and irresistible storytelling they desire in their lives. We will enlighten, provoke, surprise and entertain them. We want them to say, “This is my Tribune and I can’t get along without it.”

Our Voice:

Smart, relevant, engaged, provocative, powerful, unpretentious, playful, passionate.

Who We Are:

We are in touch with our readers’ lives. We are here to serve them.

We are accurate and fair.

We are courageous and principled.

We are imaginative, surprising and curious.

We are competitive.

What We Do:

We capture, celebrate and convey the energy, vitality and drama of Chicago in the 21st Century—24 hours a day, online, in print and on radio and television.

We understand our readers and give them the information they need and want to lead their lives. Personal relevance and utility are essential elements of our reporting.

We tell compelling stories with powerful words and images that connect with our readers intellectually and emotionally.

We stand up for our citizens and communities, uncovering wrongdoing and holding our institutions, public servants, businesses and others accountable.

We deliver local news more quickly, accurately and completely than our competitors.

We illuminate the world for our readers and explain how it matters to them.

We entertain our readers and serve as a welcome diversion in their day.

We listen and talk to our readers and give them a voice on our pages.

We showcase the unique perspectives of our columnists, personalities and expert voices.

We constantly innovate, take smart risks and look forward.

Baltimore Sun Re Reinvent

2008-08-20T09:27:00.004-08:00

The Baltimore Sun is supposed to unveil its Lee Abrams' inspired redesign any day now. Ooh, the excitement.

In the meantime, the Powers at B may want to focus on their own website. Several sharp-eyed Retchers have noted that it's, err, broken. Shouldn't you get the engine right before messing with the paintjob?

A Dear Eddy Letter

2008-08-20T09:18:00.003-08:00

In response to my call for suggestions for new LA Times publisher Eddy Hartenstein, I received this thoughtful missive from William Lobdell, former Times religion writer, ex-newspaper executive, author and now blogger.

Dear Eddy Hartenstein,

As a devoted Direct TV customer, I feel a little strange to offering you business advice, but here goes.

Please, please, please, concentrate your efforts on the advertising and marketing departments at The Times. Everything flows from there.

Take a look at the pitiful amount of ads sold in the Sports/Olympic sections in the past 10 days. This readership is still incredibly strong, and selling advertising -- which would get strong response -- should be a no-brainer. But the pages for basically empty of advertisements -- something is very, very wrong here.

There's plenty to tune-up in the editorial product, but don't get distracted. If your salespeople can't sell the Sports section, they can't sell ANYTHING. Also, with a revitalized advertising department, you'll have direction on what advertisers and readers want -- which will help guide the editorial product.

Despite what that idiot Lee Abrams (is it within your purview to fire him?) says, The Times' problem ultimately isn't the editorial product. It's a leaderless advertising department that is demoralized and doesn't have a clue how to sell in the new competitive media age. Fix that, and you'll fix The Times.

William Lobdell
Super devoted (unfortunately) former LA Times employee, 1990-2008

P.S. Another short-cut on the learning curve: Tribune trained/promoted executives, for the most part, totally BLOW (you'll recognize them by their MBA mumbo-jumob). Move them aside and your job will be much easier.

Alan Mutter at Reflections of a Newsosaur has his own Dear Eddy letter.

Priorities

2008-08-19T14:04:00.002-08:00

It's been a while, Eddy Hartenstein's the new publisher at the LA Times and the time is ripe. The Retch figured it was Poll Time! Vote now, vote often. And don't forget to sign the petition at left!

poll by twiigs.com

An Editorial Assistant's Lament

2008-08-19T13:32:00.002-08:00

Here's a bye line from Joshua Sandoval, a promising young journalist and ex-LAT editorial assistant, who decided to get out:

Sending this now since I am out of here at 12:15.

Well, this is the first good-bye e-mail our new Publisher Eddy Hartenstein will get to read. I left the town hall meeting yesterday on a positive note, thinking he could turn things around. Hopefully he can create an upswing because I would love to come back here one day.

I joined the LA Times as a 21-year-old Editorial Assistant in July 2007, after spending the prior four years as a free-lance sports journalist. This was only one of two job interviews I took after college. The other was a PR position with the San Diego Padres. That would have been fun but I had to see what LA was all about. After a few days here I had the hope of making The Times the only place I'd ever have to work. I even turned down a staff writer gig at the OC Register because I loved this place so much. I leave now by choice.

The rest follows
With the depressing state of this place in recent months I found it unpleasant to be in a position with no room for advancement so I finally decided to take the leap. Into what? I don't know, maybe entertainment. I have done four TV shows since I moved to L.A., while in this part-time job, so it may not be too big of a risk. I'm definitely going back to free-lancing because journalism and writing is in my heart. Well, it's actually tattooed on my right arm from one of those TV shows, "LA Ink."

The lowly daily duties of sorting mail and delivering newspapers was strongly outweighed by the amazing things I got to experience, like covering the recent LAX bomb threat on scene, writing a blog from Joe Torre's seat in the dugout and managing production for ESPN's Around the Horn with Bill Plaschke.

I have to thank the following for allowing me to show I am capable of more than sorting mail: Lauren Beale and Ann Brenoff for allowing me to write the weekly Real Estate Events column for nearly a year; David Ulin, Nick Owchar and Orli Low for believing in my ability to break down a book; Rich Nordwind for listening to my story pitches and not laughing when I said I wanted to write a piece about getting tattooed on "LA Ink;" Sherry Stern for taking me around the Features dept. and introducing me to everyone during my first week; Bill Plaschke for showing me how a classy sports journalist operates; Roger Smith and John Arthur for trying their best to help me get that tattoo story out there. My only regret is that it never got finished.

One final thing on behalf of my fellow Editorial Assistants: they are all intelligent well-spoken individuals who have journalistic ambition. Some were deceived into accepting the position with promises of advancement and writing opportunities by the person in charge of our group which has been difficult to achieve, not entirely all her fault. Because of that, others will also be moving on shortly. Mr. Hartenstein, I suggest looking up the people in our group, because they are the ears and eyes of the newsroom: Leslie Wiggins, Melissa Rohlin, Brad Wilcox, Lauren Williams, Ines Santos, Brian Jeppesen and Maria Hsin. They will blow your mind if given an opportunity and the newsroom really could take better advantage of their skills.

Eddy's Chat

2008-08-18T15:34:00.004-08:00

Here's the headline from new LA Times Publisher's Eddy Hartenstein's meeting with employees this afternoon: He didn't terrify people. He seemed thoughtful. Kinda funny. Eddy appeared to like Sam Zell. Bad. But he also appeared in no hurry to further wreck the paper. Good.

Over and over, Eddy stressed that Zell told him the LA Times was his paper to run. That he didn't need this new job. He said he's got "no marching orders" and doesn't foresee layoffs in the immediate future.

One staffer asked about Lee Abrams's insane, rambling think pieces. Hartenstein acknowledged that Lee could express himself better. But he also said that Lee might have a handful of good ideas among the thousands that he spews. He also said his first priority was stabilizing revenue, but that he was open to restoring sections like the book review.

The implication was that if Zell doesn't let him do the job the way he sees fit, he'll bolt. As one fellow Retch said admiringly, Hartenstein has "fuck you, money" and can afford to walk out if he doesn't like things. In other words, he doesn't have to be a Zell stooge if he doesn't want to be.

These days, one less collaborator is about as good as news gets. Here's a take on the meeting at LA Observed.

Eddy says hello

2008-08-18T09:59:00.004-08:00

Eddy Hartenstein, the new LA Times publisher, sent out his welcome message this morning. Already he's proven that he knows how to use email better than his superiors! Must be the rocket scientist in him. He calls Times workers to an assembly at 3 p.m.

Memo after

Good day,

As an avid reader of The Times for more than 45 years, I never dreamed that I would awake one morning to find my name at the top of the masthead. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this venerable institution, humbled to be in the building where journalists ply their noble craft, and sober to the difficult economic realities of the newspaper business.

You will find that I manage by walking around, try to listen more than speak, make decisions quickly after hearing all sides, and am not afraid to reverse course if we happen to stumble into the cauldron of unintended consequences.

We need to continue to be many things to many people, with the utmost urgency, and without ever sacrificing our integrity. I took this job because I firmly believe that we, the women and men of the Los Angeles Times, can show the rest of the world how the Fourth Estate can not only survive, but thrive in the 21st century. Whether our journalism is delivered electronically, on latimes.com, in the printed paper, or through some other medium, a vibrant newsroom is essential to our mission.

Please join me for an all-hands meeting this afternoon at 3 p.m. in the Chandler Auditorium.

eddy

The List, Chicago Edition

2008-08-16T09:17:00.006-08:00

You'll find below a list of a couple dozen names of the 80 or so people who have either been fired or were given a buyout by the Chicago Tribune this week.

The drill is the same as before. The Retch wants to show in a visual way the loss to the community when these guys walk out the door. It's not just some reporter getting canned. It's somebody who told you about what was happening in your town.

To that end, each name links to a Google News Archive search which hopefully pulls up past stories. Sadly, this is not a particularly accurate or effective method, but it's the best I could come up with. Other suggestions welcome.

Some reporters names and stories will pop up. Others not. And, of course, the good, hard work of editors, copy editors and photographers is nowhere to be found. For that, I apologize.

If you see your name here and don't want it there; or don't see your name and do, simply message the Retch at inkstainedretch at gmail.com.

The list follows after

Chris Brown •
Susan Chan •
Charlie Dickinson •
Mary Fergus •
Bill Fletcher •
Lew Freedman •
Gail Glaser •
Jason Goodrich •
Lana Gwinn •
Kelly Haramis •
Mark Hinojosa •
Paul Iwanaga •
Robert Manor •
Jeff Meitrodt •
Elaine Melko •
Gail Mitchell •
Steve Morris •
Luke Mundo •
Dwayne Pallanti •
Donna Pierce •
Rick Popely •
Ray Quintanilla •
Steve Ravenscraft •
Rob Reinalda •
Gentry Sleets •
Nancy Stuermer •
Wally Tokarz •
Norm Unger •
Jeff Williams •
Linda Young •
Stan Ziemba

Our New Maximum Leader

2008-08-16T08:43:00.005-08:00

Welcome, Eddy! The Retch is always optimistic about giving a new boss a shot. Unlike the previous four guys this decade, maybe you'll be able to fend off the hollow-eyed money men and focus on what matters: producing a great newspaper. Your honeymoon starts now.

No more focus groups, which lead to nothing but insights from five people in a room around a table. No more redesigns, which sap time, money and effort but do nothing to promote readership, revenue or circulation. No more cruel jokes at employees' expense, or 2,500 word memos of astonishing ignorance.

I worry a little that you may not have taken the full measure of Sam Zell. You told the LA Times that you did some research and got this from Sam:

I wanted to know that I would have the ability . . . to call the shots," said Hartenstein, who said his new boss made no demands concerning future staff cuts. Zell "basically said, 'You're the publisher and CEO. It's yours to run,' and that was pretty much it."

You might want to have our crack remaining researchers pull some clips, Eddy. This is what Sam told the Chciago Tribune in April 2007:

To be honest with you, I don't know anything about job cuts. I don't, and I think that's all in the realm of [Tribune Co. Chairman Dennis FitzSimons) and the CEO. My focus is not to look at this thing and see how we can eliminate one more table leg. Because frankly, eliminating this or eliminating that isn't going to make this work.

Hmm, that sounds pretty familiar, no? You might want to ask your predecessors how well Zell honored his committment to let Dennis and the CEO do their jobs. Because on this most current round of buyouts, Sam Zell's minions were right there in the room, pressing for more. I'm pretty sure Zell considers it his realm. So you may have trouble in your kingdom pretty quick.

But those are for worries for the future. For now, the Retch hopes that you to turn the page at the LA Times. Make it your goal, and only goal, to restore the LA Times to journalistic excellence. Everything else follows after that. If you and Russ can somehow get together and salvage the reeling staff to focus on great stories, this paper has a chance. Consider yourself exhorted.