Posted on 05/04/2008 9:44:22 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
Joseph F. Pisani, who ushered The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time into the digital age while wearing bow ties and surrounding himself with vintage typewriters, has left as editor of the newspapers.
A replacement has not been named, and Pisani declined to comment for this story.
"The nucleus of the team Joe built and worked with is still there and will continue," said John Dunster, publisher of The Advocate and Greenwich Time. "Finding a replacement for him will be important within the company but also for the communities. . . . He will be hard to replace."
Dunster echoed the words of many peers and community leaders in saying Pisani's hallmark is his integrity. Speculation among the staffs at the newspapers was that Pisani was forced out in the wake of conflicts with management for MediaNews Group Inc., which manages The Advocate and Greenwich Time under a joint venture with the owner Hearst Corp. MediaNews, one of the nation's largest media chains, owns the Connecticut Post, The News-Times of Danbury and six weeklies in Fairfield County.
Tribune Co.'s sale of the newspapers six months ago immediately resulted in the departure of several editorial department heads, including Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter, Editorial Page Editor Joy Haenlein, Features and Food Editor Valerie Foster and Advocate Sports Editor Bob Kennedy.
The editorial staff in the two newsrooms has decreased from nearly 90 to the mid 60s, but Dunster has said the goal is to get the figure back to about 70.
"Obviously as we rebuild and restaff the newsrooms, Joe's experience will be missed," Dunster said.
... Tribune Co.'s sale of the newspapers six months ago immediately resulted in the departure of several editorial department heads, including Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter, Editorial Page Editor Joy Haenlein, Features and Food Editor Valerie Foster and Advocate Sports Editor Bob Kennedy.
All in the same story - so is the nucleus staying, or is it already gone?
I am sure this is a crisis and rocks the little world of [The News-Times (Danbury, CT)]....whoever they are.
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