Editor and Publisher and Kirkus Reviews Reopen

Friday, January 15, 2010

Editor and Publisher was purchased Thursday, January 14, by Duncan McIntosh Co. Inc., an Irvine, California-based publisher of boating magazines and newspapers. Charles McKeown will continue as Editor and Publisher's publisher and Mark Fitzgerald, long time editor-at-large for the magazine, has been named as the editor. Following the sale, the magazine resumed online reporting immediately and will continue its monthly print publication schedule.

Editor and Publisher was due to shut down in January after Nielson Co., its former owner, closed it and a number of other publications. Kirkus Reviews, also previously owned by Nielson Co., announced January 1 that it is in the middle of negotiations with an un-named company seeking to acquire the magazine. Kirkus Reviews resumed publishing on January 5 and will publish a second January issue. The publication schedule after January has not yet been determined.

Editor and Publisher to Close

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Nielsen Co. has announced that effective January 1, 2010, Editor and Publisher (E&P) will be shutting down both its print and online editions. The news comes along with the sale of several other Nielsen-owned publications, as well as the closure of Kirkus Reviews. Editor and Publisher has been covering the newspaper industry since 1884 and was established officially in 1901.

The staff will continue to post articles and information to the E&P website through December and will publish the January 2010 issue as planned. Editor Greg Mitchell also revealed that there is a possibility for the continuation of the magazine, and asks readers to continue to visit the website for updates (www.editorandpublisher.com).

Washington Post Shutters Remaining National Bureaus

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The Washington Post has announced that it will be closing its remaining national news bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York effective December 31. This decision was made in an effort to cut costs and to focus the paper's limited resources on covering the Washington region and the country’s issues from a Washington perspective. The six correspondents at these bureaus will be offered positions in Washington, DC. However, three news aides will be let go by December 31.

The journalists who are being offered reassignment are Peter Slevin in Chicago; Karl Vick and television columnist Lisa de Moraes in Los Angeles; and Keith B. Richburg, Barton Gellman, and Tomoeh Murakami Tse in New York. The Washington Post had already closed national news bureaus in Austin, Denver, and Miami over the last decade.

Shake-Up in Washington Times Leadership

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Washington Times has undergone a major shake-up in its leadership, losing three top executives as well as its executive editor within the last week. Thomas P. McDevitt, president and publisher; Keith Cooperrider, chief financial officer; and Doug Moon Joo, chairman, were all fired. Executive editor John Solomon also submitted his resignation. Lanny Davis, a political columnist at the Times, subsequently announced that he would resign from the paper as well. Jonathan Slevin, previously vice president, has been named as acting president and publisher. The Times has also suspended matching contributions to its 401(k) savings plans.

Lou Dobbs Leaves CNN

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Lou Dobbs, veteran anchor and managing editor of "Lou Dobbs Tonight" on CNN/Cable News Network, announced that he is leaving the network. He will continue to host his daily radio program. Mr. Dobbs had been with CNN for 30 years. The 7 p.m. timeslot during which his nightly show aired will be filled by CNN Anchor John King. He will begin hosting a new political show in early 2010.

Time Inc. to Lay Off 540 Employees

Friday, November 6, 2009

Time Inc. has announced it will lay off approximately 540 employees, or about 6% of its workforce. Among the casualties are all 11 employees at the magazine Fortune Small Business, which will no longer be published. Approximately 20 sales and marketing employees, mostly from Sports Illustrated magazine, have already been let go. Fortune magazine will also reportedly lose 40 staff members. Other titles facing layoffs include Time, People, and Essence magazines. Time Inc. laid off 600 employees last year, and had already closed two magazines, Southern Accents and Time Style & Design, earlier this year.

Bloomberg LP Acquires BusinessWeek

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Bloomberg LP has made some initial staffing announcements with regard to its recent agreement to acquire BusinessWeek magazine from McGraw-Hill Companies. The deal will close on December 1, and the new magazine will be named Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Jessica Sibley, Senior Vice President and Worldwide Publisher for BusinessWeek, will join Bloomberg, serving as Publisher for the new magazine. Carl Fischer will serve as head of marketing and communications. Tania Secor will serve in an expanded finance role at Bloomberg News, which will include BusinessWeek and Bloomberg Markets magazine. The executive editors, Ellen Pollock and John Byrne, as well as the managing editor, Ciro Scotti, will also join Bloomberg, retaining their current positions at the new magazine.

The President of BusinessWeek, Keith Fox, will remain at McGraw-Hill, taking on a new role next year. Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler announced that he would resign his post once the deal is finalized.

Media Updates

Monday, October 19, 2009

George Stephanopoulos, Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC and host of "This Week," has been named the primary substitute anchor for Diane Sawyer when she becomes the anchor of ABC's "World News" early next year. Mr. Stephanopoulos will also team up with Ms. Sawyer to provide special event coverage. Ms. Sawyer currently co-anchors "Good Morning America" and "Primetime Live." She will replace the current anchor of "World News," Charles Gibson, who will retire in January 2010.

Former Huffington Post senior news editor Katharine Zaleski has been hired by the Washington Post to be the paper's Executive Producer and Head of Digital News Products. Ms. Zaleski had worked at Huffington Post since its launch in 2005. She will take on both editorial and business duties, driving product innovation in its digital businesses and overseeing the overall product roadmap for the web site, as well as liaising with sales and other commercial departments. She begins in her new post on November 16.