Posted on 10/21/2006 9:22:11 AM PDT by SmithL
Contra Costa Times Editor Chris Lopez was replaced Friday after more than six years at the publication, the newspaper announced.
Lopez's responsibilities will be assumed by Contra Costa Times Executive Editor Kevin Keane.
Keane, 48, has been an editor at MediaNews for nine years, most recently as the executive editor of ANG Newspapers. He retains oversight of MediaNews' East Bay editorial operations.
"As we consolidate the operations of Contra Costa and ANG newspapers in the Bay Area, there are some positions that have become redundant, and, unfortunately for Chris, his is one of those positions," said John Armstrong, who oversees MediaNews Group's East Bay operations.
"Chris has been a superb editor," Armstrong said. "When he succeeded me as editor nearly two years ago, we talked about pushing on investigative reporting and community coverage and involvement, and he and the news staff delivered in spades."
Armstrong cited economic pressure felt by the newspaper industry as a reason for Lopez's departure.
Denver-based MediaNews Group Inc., owner of the ANG Newspapers chain that includes the Oakland Tribune, purchased Contra Costa Newspapers and its sister paper, the San Jose Mercury News, in a sale finalized Aug. 2.
The Mercury News announced newsroom layoffs Friday, to take effect in 60 days.
MediaNews is making its presence felt.
No Loss!
What it took two to spin DNC propaganda... now takes one.
Economic constraints may have called for firing one of these two, but presumably political considerations or judgment of competence are involved in firing the more senior of the two.
Which of them is more liberal, or are they indistinguishable? Or is this just a desperate rearrangement of the deck chairs?
I met the MediaNews Group owner, Singleton, a few years ago. He is a conservative, but his newspapers aren't. Real shame too, he seemed like a nice gentleman.
Media news (my employers) consolidates upper management routinely. They do not have a political bent but rather let papers they own reflect the editorial flavor of their area. When they took control of our paper they combined many functions and positions with our sister papers in the region. This move at ANG's newly aquired papers sound very familiar to me. Don't expect much else to change from a reader's standpoint. Except it might look a lot like other MediaNews product around the state.
OK, thanks. Between you you make it pretty clear. If local newspapers really reflect local interests, you can't ask for too much more.
When we got the local paper in our town in Connecticut, it was mainly to see who got mentioned in the soccer news or what the selectboard were up to.
Is it true that MSM newspapers circle the drain clockwise below the equator?
I have friends that worked for ANG. These friends are liberal Pete Stark type of fans. But once they got screwed by ANG, it was because ANG must be republican. A good liberal ownership wouldn't treat employees the way they were treated.
Hah, I told them...get real. Fascists took over and you met the "future". Low wages and no long term employment.
Every 5 years look for turn-over as the next round of high school graduates can take your jobs. With spell check, everything is easy.
Ping!
'Mercury News' To Axe Up to 101, Including 15% of NewsroomOutstanding to see senior management paying for their own bad judgment instead of innocent lower level workers exclusively getting sacrificed.
...Publisher John Armstrong said Friday that Editor Chris Lopez was leaving the paper, but no other layoffs were planned.
Armstrong said in a statement to staff that Lopez's position had become "redundant" as the company consolidated its Bay Area news operations.
"Given the serious revenue pressures all newspapers are facing ... we cannot afford any redundancy, especially at the senior management level," he said.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.