Shakeup At LA Times As Top Editor Is Forced Out For Resisting Cutbacks

Los Angeles Times:

For the second time in 15 months, the editor of the Los Angeles Times has been fired for refusing to impose budget cuts ordered by his publisher.

Times Publisher David D. Hiller fired Editor James O'Shea following a confrontation in which Hiller directed O'Shea to carry out $4 million in cuts, according to a person familiar with the situation. The move didn't become public until it was reported today by the Wall Street Journal.

The turmoil has erupted one month after the closing of the $8.2-billion buyout of Tribune Co., The Times' parent company, by an employee stock plan and Chicago real-estate baron Sam Zell. Zell was out of the country today and unavailable for comment, a spokeswoman said.

Read the whole story: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Rivcuban]

Ever since the LA Times was bought by right-winger, real-estate mogul Sam Zell, it has been going downhill (and to the right).

[KindAndThoughtful]

He was right for resisting cutbacks. Print journalism is still the main source for breaking news and investigative reporting. Cutbacks in print journalism have a ripple effect on all forms of journalism.


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[Tator]

It is a beautiful thing to watch. The crumbling and death of leftist journalism. Just like most of the left leaning papers today , the public is tired of American and Solder bashing.

Hint to Journalist. Report the news and keep you commie opinions out of news stories.

[bookish]

The Sunday Times of London has published another story that appears to confirm Sibil Edmond's allegations of the theft and sale of American nuclear secrets, by American officials, "elected and appointed".

Information available online at The Sunday Times, The Raw Story, Brad Blog, and Luke Ryland.

This story has been widely reported internationally, but American MSM and Huffington Post are silent.

[RogerHWerner]

If we're to believe Hiller, O'Shea left because it was the start of a "new presidential term" and of course such things are normal. As if having how many editors in how many years? O'Shea was forced out because he wouldn't agree to across the board budget cuts by a man who has no more interest in reporting the news than Ruppert Murdock. Hiller wants profit, immediate profit, which is after all the corporate mantra. Nicely put: Hiller is full of shit. The Times could print garbage and as long as it turned a profit that's all that would ever matter. Obviously, a business can't lose money but with family owned media there was some degree of patience to allow for flexible conditions while maintaining high quality content; this will never be the case with corporations, which is why they make poor media owners.

[Ginzaman]

Isn't Zell the genius who wrote a memo that said driving to work drunk is bad? Thank the FCC for allowing idiots like this to f**k up media even more than it already is.

[getoffmedz]

The once great Los Angeles Times died when the Chandler family sold it.

LAT - RIP

[jasjohn128]

And to stike that proper note of irony, Season 5 of "The Wire" has just begun a couple of weeks ago. They're doing the Baltimore Sun now, but what's the difference?

This is what happens when punks who've already got way too much money decide they need to make more, more, more, so they buy newspapers and ruin them.

Sam Zell is gonna line his coffin with dollar bills and paper profits but it won't matter, they'll all burn in hell just like he will.

Too bad, Zell, you've got no legacy except as another greedy bastard with no class, and you'll have left nothing anyone could be proud of. You'll be forgotten before your bones crumble away.

Nothing you've done will outlive you, Zell. Your family won't have a name to be proud of, and you will be remembered only for your incompetence and greed.

We'll line up to spit on your grave, Zell.

Oh hey, look outside on the sidewalk, there's a nickel just laying there! Go get it, Zell!

[Meah]

The L.A. times is history. They have to make cutbacks because the people in Los Angeles have had it with the conservative agenda of all the new owners. The Times calls me all the time to see if I will subscribe again. I tell them that I will consider it when they get rid of Lucy's little toad, Jonah Goldberg. I will not pay to have someone of his ilk come into my home. They never asked the people of LA who they respected as writers, and they fired our favorites. Fire the liberal writers. Yea. Thanks for nothing. One stupid move after another is no way to run a newspaper.

[speakingtruth2power]

I have been in that situation in a smaller setting and it's surprising how surprised they are that you would say no and give up your job. People on top are such chicken shits that they can't imagine ethics and loyalty to underlings would cause a person to walk away from a high paying job.