Los Angeles Times Pressmens 20 Year Club: March 2007

Los Angeles Times Pressmens 20 Year Club

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Tribune's Fate Undecided

Tribune Stock Rises On Buyout Anticipation - KCCI Des Moines
Tribune Company stock rose 1.7 percent Friday as investors waited for the media company to announce a possible buyout. Thursday night, Los Angeles billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle submitted a last-minute bid for the owner of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.

Battle over Tribune Co. - The Editors Weblog
Last night, two Los Angeles billionaires put in a last-minute bid for the Tribune Company, outbidding real-estate tycoon Sam Zell and most likely pushing back even further a decision on the company’s fate. The employee stock ownership model, used in both offers to make employees the majority owners, has worked for small companies but has rarely been used for larger ones in the last 20 years.

Big Test for Workers as Owners - Hendersonville News
A sampling of other Tribune employees found cautious optimism after a long period of uncertainty and not a little chaos. “We listen, we wait, and, yeah, maybe we worry a little bit,” said Steve Lopez, a columnist at The Los Angeles Times. “But what could be better? Our work is so good, we’ve got billionaires fighting over us.” But many Tribune employees remain deeply confused, especially regarding what a stock ownership plan might entail. “I can’t even guess,” said Bob Englehart, the editorial cartoonist at The Hartford Courant. “I’m too ignorant to be afraid.”

Billionaire Bingo: Nine More Tribune Questions - Content Bridges
So what will the role of former L.A. Times Publisher Jeff Johnson (shown here, left to right, in happier days with editors Dean Baquet and John Carroll) in a post-sale world be, if Ron Burkle gets the prize? Will Johnson, a once-loyal Tribune exec, who was sacked for impudence in publicly resisting budget cuts by CEO Dennis FitzSimons, play an operational role, and have FitzSimons, even for a day or so, reporting to him?

Tribune's fate undecided - Chicago Tribune
Unable to reach a verdict Friday, Tribune Co.'s independent directors planned to resume deliberations Saturday on whether to accept Chicago billionaire Sam Zell's $33-per-share proposal for the media company or a rival 11th-hour offer from Los Angeles billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle worth $34 a share, sources said.A meeting of the full Tribune board is scheduled for Sunday, when a final decision could be voted on.

Tribune said to still favor Zell's buyout bid - Los Angeles Times
Tribune Co. continued to favor an acquisition proposal by real estate mogul Sam Zell, but a special committee of directors was asking questions Friday about a competing bid by Los Angeles billionaires Ron Burkle and Eli Broad.The media conglomerate had hoped to bring an end to a torturous six-month review of alternatives by its self-imposed deadline of today. The talks are likely to continue into Sunday, however, in part because of the time needed to consider the 11th-hour counteroffer Burkle and Broad submitted Thursday.

Tribune Co. may choose suitor on Sunday - MarketWatch
The fate of Tribune Co. may be decided Sunday, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune Saturday. The report said that deliberations Saturday on the competing bids could result in a vote at a meeting of Tribune Co.'s full board on Sunday. Shares of Tribune (TRB) ended the Friday higher by another 58 cents, or 1.8%, at $32.11. Over the last two weeks, Tribune shares have climbed more than 10% in anticipation the parent of the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and various media properties could have a new owner.

69,739 Visitors and Counting

Last year I installed this handy little web counter, that counts real users, not pings from RSS feeds or reloads (refresh) to have an exact count of visitors to this page. We have had 69,739 visitors as of this morning, or in a one-year span.

To view the traffic flow of this blog, click on the blue icon at the left side column, you may find the information interesting. While viewing the stats, under the last ten visitors click on the green icon next to each visitor to see a map of where the visitor is located.

Some users have been able to stealth onto the site, but my other counter sees them, web stats does not. My hidden counter claims we have had over two million hits, but most of those hits are robots, web spiders, RSS feeds, etc.

Thanks for visiting; I hope we have entertained you just a bit.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Easy Writer: Kanani Fong: A New Group Blog: The Writerly Pause

Easy Writer: Kanani Fong: A New Group Blog: The Writerly Pause

The Writerly Pause is a new group blog that my writer friends and I have put together. Every few months we speak to a much-published novelist, journalist or playwright. So far we've spoken to author Frank Schaeffer (Baby Jack), and Playwright & Screenwriter José Rivera (Motorcycle Diaries).

Next month we'll speak to award winning journalist Al Martinez. His writing and editing helped the Los Angeles Times win three Pulitzer Prizes.

Please bookmark this and The Writerly Pause, and let me know when you do. We'll link you to our page.

Hollywood Hills Fire Today

We experienced three power bumps while preparing our printing presses for tomorrow’s edition, which means we ran around the press rebooting everything. We heard there was a fire raging in the Hollywood Hills, and power was disrupted for but a moment. The photographs were taken from the Los Angeles Times Olympic Facility, located at 8th and Alameda.

Click on the pictures to enlarge. Metroblogging has many pictures posted of the fire from several different locations.

Tribune Employees Waiting For Chicago

As Tribune Company Employees wonder who will be the winning bidder for the media giant, very little news is coming out of Chicago. I have numerous Google alerts and RSS feeds active for any hint of news. In the mean time, Mark Lacter has a small but interesting story regarding the impending sale of the Tribune on LA Biz Observed.

Today is a good day for me. My daughter is arriving from Hawaii tonight at approximately 11:00 p.m. for a two-week visit. She's been waiting at home (in Hawaii) for her husband's deployment to end in August, only to find out that his unit will be kept an additional 46 days. She was, understandably, distraught and upset but has now come to terms with the delay and accepted the inevitable. Her husband, however, is eager to come home after so many months away. Their first anniversary will be April 22 and it's sad that they won't be together to celebrate.

For my part, I've been her sounding board, cheerleader and support these last few weeks. It was hard to accept that my role in her live changed from "parenting" to "parent". I was never the kind of parent who looked at my child as a "friend". I was the mom, charged with the responsibility of preparing my children to live by the rules of society no matter how hard the rules are. Of course, there were times I was tempted to give in and allow her to have her way but I resisted because I wanted to raise a self-sufficient child who would fit in and contribute to society. I'm proud of all my children and I pray every day for the strength and stamina to raise the two youngest still living at home. No matter how many children you raise, it's always difficult when you have to step back and have faith that you've raised them right.

I hope to be able to blog a little more frequently and look forward to any comments readers have.

Please continue to pray for our troops all over the world. God bless everyone!

Peninsula Press Club: Journalism class has unique Web site

Journalism class has unique Web site

James Logan High School in Union City may have the only school paper whose Web site is updated 365 days a year, according to class adviser Patrick Hannigan. The Hayward Daily Review says that on days when there are no articles written by student journalists, students update the site by posting stories from other media outlets or items such as the school's daily bulletin, which includes the lunch menu.

Online Scams

With tax season in full swing this interesting email arrived today claiming I can recieve an additional $63.80 refund by clicking on the link provided. Click on the IRS link and subscribe to the Los Angeles Times instead. This scam was easy to spot, the TO: field was left blank, and the link directed the user to a site in Europe. Unless the IRS has outsourced it's work to Europe?

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $63.80. Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 6-9 days in order to process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To access the form for your tax refund, please click here

Regards, Internal Revenue Service

Take Back the Times: LAT Cutbacks Must Be Put In Abeyance During Bids

LAT Cutbacks Must Be Put In Abeyance During Bids

The Tribune board, which is nothing if not greedy, has already set aside $269 million for golden parachutes for a host of executives that would be leaving under new owners (even though Zell has said he would keep present management at least initially). This was close to the $300 million cash Zell was offering out front.

FitzSimons, with his golden parachute, will not need new employment. But Hiller may not be ready to retire. I think he might be induced to go to work for his old Justice Department colleague, Ken Starr, if and when Starr returns to the Justice Department in place of Alberto Gonzales, who presumably will soon be forced to resign for perjuring himself to Congress.

Shares of Tribune Rising

Shares of Tribune (TRB) rose following on a report that billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle have upped their offer for the company. The two have made a total bid that exceeds the one on the table from real estate magnate Sam Zell, according to the Associated Press. Citing insiders, the AP reports that Broad and Burkle sent a letter to the Tribune's board offering $34 per share and a recapitalization plan that would involve employee stock ownership. The two also offered to contribute $500 million cash to the deal. That offer exceeds Zell's bid of $33 per share.

Tribune Employees Beware

With all the ado surrounding the sale of the Tribune Company it’s difficult if not impossible to read every story, but Fred Kirby brought one particular article by Katharine Q. Seelye to my attention. In paragraph nine of her story she writes:

“This could be particularly risky for Tribune employees, who have watched the value of their company sink in recent years. And because Mr. Zell’s plan involves a lot of debt, employees might also be asked to make concessions on wages or on pension contributions.”

As I have been preaching for many years, cut up your credit cards and find ways to trim your expenses, incase this comes to be. In the mean time, here are a few of the many stories on the blogosphere.

2 Billionaires Make Offer for Tribune - New York Times
The two investors said that like Mr. Zell, they would structure a deal based on an employee stock ownership plan, but would offer $34 a share, one dollar more than Mr. Zell’s bid. They also said they would put in $500 million of their own money, compared with Mr. Zell, who had planned to put in at least $300 million.

L.A. duo reenters Tribune auction - Los Angeles Times
The seesaw battle for Tribune Co. tilted again Thursday evening, when Los Angeles billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle said they would pay $1 more a share than real estate mogul Sam Zell, who had been viewed as the front-runner to acquire the media company.Broad and Burkle made their offer as Chicago-based Tribune approached a self-imposed Saturday deadline to determine its fate. It reportedly had been on the verge of accepting a $33-a-share bid from Zell.

Burkle, Broad making $34-a-share, ESOP-based offer - Chicago Tribune
The source said Broad and Burkle's new proposal is worth $34 per share and includes a recapitalization funded, like Zell's plan, by an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP. As in their previous offer, it would involve the two men investing $500 million in capital.It was not immediately clear what effect this late revision would have on the board's plans or timetable.Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, WGN-Ch. 9 and other media properties, as well as the Chicago Cubs baseball team, is coming up against a self-imposed Saturday deadline to announce a decision.

Tribune Suitor Zell Is Used to Bucking Trends - Wall Street Jounal
A last minute wrinkle: California businessmen Ron Burkle and Eli Broad have come up with a revised offer to beat Mr. Zell's $33-a-share proposal. According to someone familiar with their plans, the two men sent a letter last night to Tribune's board saying they are more than happy to structure a deal using an ESOP model. They value their new deal at $34 a share, including $500 million in cash, this person said, in exchange for warrants that deliver control of a 40% Tribune stake. Both the Zell and Burkle-Broad offers propose that the buyer would become chairman or co-chairmen of Tribune.

Revised Offer by Broad and Burkle - LA Biz Observed
The new offer was valued by Broad/Burkle at $34 a share and that the two billionaires would be willing to structure the deal with an employee stock ownership plan, just like the Sam Zell proposal.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

For The Love Of Adam Let's Ride

By Will Campbell

A few weeks ago Mack Reed posted here about plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Monon Street and Hyperion Avenue in the wake of the tragic death of Silver Lake resident Bill Wingard who on January 20 was struck by a vehicle and killed while in the crosswalk between Trader Joe's and Gelson's.

One of the first people on the scene of the accident to offer aid to Wingard was Trader Joe's crewmember Adam Authier who stayed by Wingard's side until paramedics arrived. Little more than a month later, on February 24, Authier was on Hyperion in Atwater Village bicycling home from work when he was struck by a motorist. Transported to County-USC Medical Center with serious injuries, Authier spent several days in ICU and now faces a long period of recovery -- all without health insurance.

His crewmates at Trader Joe's are partnering with the Company of Angels Theater (of which Wingard was a member) and have organized a benefit Sunday April 1 from 1 - 6 p.m. at the Grand Avenue Club (map) whose proceeds will go to Authier to help with his medical bills. In conjunction with the benefit, Stephen Box of Illuminate L.A. has announced the organization of a bike ride that will depart for the Grand Avenue Club from the Silver Lake Trader Joe's at noon that Sunday.

Tribune Sale

How Zell's offer for Tribune might work - Los Angeles Times
An executive within Tribune said the board was scheduled to meet Friday and was expected to announce a deal with Zell that day. Financial news site TheStreet.com reported Wednesday that Los Angeles billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle, who complained last weekend that Tribune was giving their bid short shrift, had resumed talking with Tribune and could make a counter-bid before the deadline. Broad and Burkle did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Judge halts sale of Advocate - The Advocate
Tribune did not require Gannett to honor the contract as it was supposed to, according to an attorney for Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers, which represents photographers and reporters in the Stamford newsroom. The attorney, Thomas Meiklejohn, said that had the sale been allowed, those employees benefits, wages and job security would no longer be protected by the union contract.

Tribune Debt May Sink Zell - New York Post
Other recent newspaper buyers have been caught off guard by how fast the newspaper industry is deteriorating, as cable and the Internet continue to woo away readers and advertisers. Not long after acquiring the Philadelphia Inquirer last year, for instance, public relations mogul Brian Tierney was concerned about his ability to make debt payments and ended up making newsroom cuts to conserve cash.

L.A. Times May Have Dumped Grazer - New York Observer
“I should have followed Dean out the door,” said Mr. Martinez on March 24, two days after he did follow Mr. Baquet out the door with his resignation from the editorial-page job. “I was nine-tenths of the way there.”

The betting still favors a Sam Zell acquisition - LA Biz Observed
Meanwhile, a Tribune executive told the LAT that the board was set to meet tomorrow and announce the Zell deal later in the day.

Work, work, work - Walks Clog the Bases
It's looking more and more like Sam Zell's going to "win" the "battle" for the Tribune Company (he's the only bidder; it's not much of a competition here). What I've been trying to do is figure out why he's using an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) structure. Given his stated intention of not breaking up TRB into TV and newspaper assets, there shouldn't be a big tax hit anyway. But all the articles I've read have suggested that Sam Zell's ESOP structure would avoid taxes. That leaves two options: 1) there are incremental tax advantages to an ESOP structure that I'm not seeing or 2) Sam can't do the deal without having the employees contribute equity through the ESOP.

How Would You Run the Los Angeles Times

David Markland would like your input on what you would do if you ran the Los Angeles Times, take the jump and give some input.

If you were suddenly appointed an all powering helm of the L.A. Times, how would you manage it? Who would you hire to manage the different sections? Any other fundamental changes?

Metro Blogging LA

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Pressmen's Dinner a Hit

The Pressmen’s dinner last night at Luminarias Restaurant was an overwhelming success on all fronts, there were no complaints, and the club wants to return again in October. We changed restaurants, from Taix, in order to save money, but the price was similar to Taix.

Yet, our room was large enough to seat everyone comfortably, with large windows over looking Cal State Los Angeles and the clogged freeways below us.

As the men filled the room the sound level increased to a rather loud roar, as they were so happy to see one another again, remember, many of the men worked together for thirty to forty years. It’s something like a class reunion that occurs every six months.

We had two special guests join us, Russ Burgess and Klaus Kurst, long time Los Angeles Times employees themselves.

Comedian Tina Kim agreed to do a fifteen-minute stand up routine, which went over extremely well, that lasted forty minutes.

Starting in 2008 we will move our dinners from the Tuesday/Saturday format to a Monday/Saturday format to allow the men and women with Sunday and Monday's off to attend.

Our next dinner will be held on October 27th, 2007 and I urge all employees to give it a try, you may return again and again.

Pressmen's Dinner Last Night

A full report on the dinner last night will be posted after work. A handful of us closed the bar, like we once had done years ago, needless to say I did not feel like blogging this morning.

Passing of Robert Roderick

The staff of the blog extends it's heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Kevin Roderick on the loss of his father Robert Roderick.

From Kevin:

The News & Chatter side of LA Observed plans to stand down for a day or so to mark the passing of my father. Robert Roderick lived to 89 and will be missed by many, among them the ethnic restaurateurs he helped keep in business around the San Fernando Valley. Those selected bloggers, columnists and political aides who would find his unsolicited email tips in their in-boxes are on their own now.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Pressmen's Dinner Today

Busy day preparing for our dinner at 5:00 today, I'll be posting photo's and video of the event later tonight.

Media News Today

Tribune Close to Accepting Zell's $8 Billion Offer - Bloomberg.com
Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Cubs, will probably accept real estate billionaire Sam Zell's $8 billion takeover offer by the end of the week, according to people familiar with the matter. An agreement is likely by Tribune's self-imposed deadline of March 31, said the people, who declined to be named because no decision has been made. Zell's offer of $33 a share is 6.8 percent above yesterday's close.

Why Print Journalism Will Never Really Die - SeekingAlpha
Judging by the blogosphere's reaction, I'm really happy that Web content is free; at the moment, I feel that it is worth every penny I am paying for it. My reason: people are confusing the business of publishing newspapers with the discipline and art of journalism. It's kind of like saying that because symphony orchestras struggle for subscriptions, we need to stop sending musicians to conservatories and start hiring groups of street musicians. While it may appeal to fans of street musicians (of which I am one), I doubt it will do much for the advancement of classical music.

Will Buyout Save Tribune? - Sramana Mitra
But the question remains. Will this buyout save Tribune? Can Tribune turnaround? Are the company’s online initiatives enough? Do they need to push more aggressively online?
Yes, Tribune has made a number of strategic moves in the online media space and TheEnvelope is a step in the right direction, but the company needs to roll-up many more relevant online verticals to save the day.

Newspapers Are Alive And Kicking - Guardian
Last year's cover story in The Economist headlined "Who killed the newspaper?" spurred the World Editors' Forum and Reuters to discover the state of the press across the globe. The result is the first Newsroom Barometer, claiming to be the first international survey focused on newsroom strategies and morale. So, according to 435 of the world's editors-in-chief, deputy editors and senior news executives, nobody has killed the newspaper.

Monday, March 26, 2007

LOS ANGELES TIMES CONTINUES EDITORIAL TRANSFORMATION

New Approach to Sunday OPINION, BOOK REVIEW, TV TIMES and BUSINESS
Focus on Multimedia, Rich Content and Personal Utility

LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2007— The Los Angeles Times today announced several editorial changes designed to meet the evolving needs of readers, users and advertisers. The shifts come on the heels of recent new content launches and redesigned editorial offerings and emphasize integration across print and online to better position The Times as a dynamic, round-the-clock destination for indispensable and differentiated news and information for Southern Californians.

“Our customers are changing how they live, work and play in Southern California - including how, when and where they get their news and information,” said The Times Publisher, David D. Hiller. “We are changing with them, adding in some areas and going in a new direction in others, and always sustaining the world class content our readers and users expect.”

Highlights include:

· The return of the OPINION section, (now called CURRENT), which will be merged with BOOK REVIEW as a combined Sunday section beginning April 15

o The redesigned BOOK REVIEW will be more visual, featuring portraiture and enhanced photography

o More book reviews will now appear daily in various sections of the paper, with the majority housed in CALENDAR

o www.latimes.com/books will have stronger presence and become a valuable one-stop resource incorporating book store-search ability, book-related event and lecture listings, as well as easy to find book news and reviews by The Times writers and contributors

o Interactive Editorial Pages content will be available online at www.latimes.com/opinion, including web-only columns, online debates about the week’s news, chats with Times columnists and others, and a lively blog updated throughout the day by The Times editorial board

· The SUNDAY BUSINESS Section will take on a “Your Money” focus beginning April 15, part of Business' ongoing day-of-the-week themed strategy that includes Small Business on Wednesday and International Trade on Saturday

o “Your Money” will feature enhanced consumer information and personal finance content, including how-to stories on investing, savings strategies and tax planning

o The popular “Money Makeover” feature will return once a month, giving readers the opportunity to have their financial situations assessed by a professional advisor

o BUSINESS columnists Tom Petruno and Kathy Kristof will host "Marketbeat" and "Personal Finance," respectively, and Liz Pulliam Weston’s "Money-Talk" column will be refocused and address finance issues for 18-35 year olds in her first few columns

o A print/online consumer beat column, www.latimes.com/business, will offer strategies on how to find the best deals both online and in the bricks and mortar world, with specific Sunday coverage devoted to high interest topics such as how to find the best phone deals and what to look for in your health plan

o Every SUNDAY BUSINESS will profile a business leader

· Sunday CALENDAR’s comprehensive TV coverage expands with the addition of a new “TV This Week” page, which will include a “Critic’s Pick” as well as Monday-Sunday recommendations and discoveries to help readers plan their viewing

o “TV Times” will end its run on April 8

o www.latimes.com/tvtimes will debut an enhanced, 24/7 searchable grid which will include tips and highlights from The Times critics and staff writers, sports and talk show highlights and movie reviews

o Daily TV listing grids in the print edition remain unchanged

“The media landscape is changing dramatically and the Los Angeles Times must change to remain relevant and vital to our readers,” said editor of The Times, James O’Shea. “One thing won't change, though. The Times and its staff will continue to put out a comprehensive, excellent newspaper every day and our commitment to providing locally edited news and information about Los Angeles, Southern California, the nation and the world remains as strong and durable as ever.”

Over the past several months numerous initiatives and products have been introduced to focus on the needs of the Southland’s growing local audience and enhance the depth and distinct perspectives that have made The Times an industry leader. Those include the November ’06 launch of The Envelope print series to compliment TheEnvelope.com’s successful and influential de facto entertainment awards insider Web site; January’s announced reinvention of the newsroom into a 24/7 operation allocating resources and accelerating product development online; the redesigned, local/regionally-oriented TRAVEL section and Web site; and the March 18 debut of IMAGE, in print and online, a smart cultural observer of SoCal’s unique perspective on fashion, beauty, shopping and style with an eye on the international scene. In addition, readers, users and advertisers can anticipate a re-imagined CALENDAR WEEKEND/CALENDARLIVE.com this summer as well as additional products that will roll out later in the year.

# # #

About the Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of nearly 2.2 million and 3.3 million on Sunday. The Los Angeles Times and its media businesses - including latimes.com, The Envelope/theenvelope.com, Times Community Newspapers, Recycler Classifieds, Hoy, and California Community News - reach approximately 8.1 million or 62% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace every week.

The Los Angeles Times, has been covering Southern California for over 125 years and is part of Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), one of the country's leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information about the Los Angeles Times is available at www.latimes.com/mediacenter.

LAT Subscription Drive Extended

The employee subscription drive, scheduled to end today, has been extended a short time longer.

Word from Tribune West claims executives at the newspaper receive a free subscription to the newspaper to their homes, which prompted yours truly to ask one of the executives if this was true? I was told, executives for the Times have a free issue delivered to their desks, and pay for the newspaper delivered to their homes.

In this picture (taken by Don Reese) I attempt to have Jack sign up for a paid subscription to the Los Angeles Times. If you would like to take advantage of this offer call 1.800.252.9141 or follow this link and subscribe online, using my employee number 051627.

And a big thank you goes out to the new subscribers.

Take Back the Times: Martinez Tries LAT Sabotage And NYT's Carr Buys It

Take Back the Times: Martinez Tries LAT Sabotage And NYT's Carr Buys It

For once, I got it exactly right. Three days ago in this blog, I predicted, "We can expect that now, like (Michael) Kinsley before him, (Andres) Martinez will industriously try to smear the newspaper which gave him employment in the first place. Kinsley has pursued a vendetta against the Times, and to some extent all newspapers, and now Martinez will too."

Both of these goofy jackasses are at it this morning, and who have they taken in but media columnist David Carr of the New York Times.

Carr writes a lengthy article in the NYT business section that quotes both Martinez and Kinsley at some length, but scarcely pays any attention to the views of reporters in the newsroom who ably showed management last week that Martinez was guilty of severe ethical transgressions in dating a Hollywood publicist while retaining her client to edit some of his editorial pages.

This Tuesday, Firefighters Sound The Alert For Diabetes

This Tuesday, Firefighters Sound The Alert For Diabetes

The Los Angeles Fire Department joins the American Diabetes Association to 'Sound the Alert' for the millions of Americans who have diabetes - but don't know it!

March 27, 2007 is the 19th Annual American Diabetes Alert Day

The men and women of the LAFD are proud to be a part of this effort, and ask you to join them in sharing the word and taking a quick and simple on-line test to determine your personal risk.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Tribune Gate

The Tribune Company is out of order and in desperate need of repairs, lets hope the needed sale takes place as soon as possible, before the Los Angeles Times implodes.

Last year one of my Tribune boss’ told me Take Back the Times was the most disliked blog by the Los Angeles Times employees, and asked if I would stop linking the daily contempt aimed at the Tribune Company on my blog. I agreed, but had a change of heart after the executives at Tribune Towers awarded themselves $269,000,000 in golden parachutes if the company is sold. On February 14th, 2007 the board gave themselves thousands of shares of Tribune stock, for doing a fine job I suppose, which will pay them a large dividend if there is a payout.

If Ken Reich’s blog is so disliked by Times Employees, why are his messages posted in the hallways at Tribune West (formerly Times Mirror Square), maybe someone enjoys what he is saying?

The recurring word of the day at our plant was Enron; will we end up like the former employees of Enron, retirements lost forever, while the executives walk away with millions in their pockets no matter which course is taken? Tensions are rising among the workers at the newspaper as we near this Friday’s conclusion. Many of my co-workers comments can not be repeated here, but let me assure you, the workers are not pleased.

Here are a few links to what the Blogosphere is saying regarding Tribune gate.

Careful what Zell tells you LA Biz Observed

Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not predicting the future. But sometimes it can be instructive to look for potential patterns by peering into the past.

Careful what Tribune tells you - LA Biz Observed

Eli Broad and Ron Burkle have just made life a little more uncomfortable for the Tribune boys who seem inclined to accept Sam Zell's offer. You remember Broad and Burkle - the L.A. billionaires who made an early bid for Tribune that was turned down weeks ago.

Richard Riordan has harsh words for Tribune - MarketWatch

Add the name of former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan to the chorus of Los Angeles Times critics. The paper has been getting blasted from inside and out. Media critics have been excoriating the Tribune Company, which owns the newspaper, for cutting the staff and presiding over an organization whose quality has declined.

The Circular Firing Squad in California - New York Times

At The Times last week, editors took aim at other editors, writers sprayed shots at their own newspaper, and the publisher drew a bead on his own foot. The shootout went off on the Web in real time, with blogs annotating every ricochet. Fittingly, the whole thing ended when the editorial page editor, after resigning, explained himself on a blog, using the digital platform to throw a grenade on the way out.

L.A.Times Fiasco: Takin' It To The Streets - Metro Blogging

Since it seems everybody and their egos has had to say something (as opposed to having something to say) in regards to this week's L.A.Times Current section controversy I decided to take it down to the bottom rung on the journalistic ladder and check in with my delivery dude to catch his thoughts on the whole mess after he drove up and tossed my paper this morning:

Times blog post edited - LAObserved

Tim Cavanaugh, the web editor who joined the Times Opinion staff recently from Reason magazine, reacted to the resignation of his boss, Andrés Martinez, by posting a personal message on the Opinion blog that raised some eyebrows. He's only been there a few months and works in a small department cut off from most of the Times newsroom, but he posted his belief that the newspaper is a place "where doing anything more than the bare minimum is passively, and often actively, discouraged."

Here In OC: Ansel Adams At The Bowers Museum

Monolith, The Face Of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, 1927 by Ansel Adams

Over on Easy Writer:

This lesson learned is one that I could apply to writing, or even to my life and raising my kids. First pass, yes, but don't forget that there's a second, third, fourth, fifth and umpteenth to burnish what we create, to instill that emotional core that drives life itself.

Peninsula Press Club: If you think your paper has problems ...

Peninsula Press Club: If you think your paper has problems ...

Recent downsizing at the Minneapolis Star Tribune left that newspaper with a Washington bureau staffed by only an intern. But, as reader rep Kate Parry explains, the intern is "experienced" and can handle things in the nation's capital until new reporters are cycled in. Must be a great intern.

Take Back the Times: Rutten Column In LAT Pins Martinez To The Wall

Take Back the Times: Rutten Column In LAT Pins Martinez To The Wall

It must always be remembered that the Tribune has reached an end point, where a failed management under CEO Dennis FitzSimons must be replaced for the good of the entire enterprise. Just this morning, it's reported that Tribune revenues are sliding and that the decline is a particularly severe 5.1% for the Tribune newspapers.

It's possible, I suppose, that an eventual deal to buy the Tribune, might, as in the McClatchy purchase of newspapers last year, lead to a resale of certain of the assets. In other words, Zell might buy the company and then turn around and sell the L.A. Times portion of it to Burkle and Broad.

Stay tuned. The fun has only begun, but it's certainly made a good start with the demise of Andres Martinez as editorial pages editor.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Tribune Sale

With all the ado during the week over the actions of one editor at the newspaper, the employees at the Los Angeles Times were distracted from the pending sale of the Tribune Company, at least for a moment.

I am one of the 21,000 Tribune employees across America, that was not asked if I wanted my retirement used to finance the Sam Zell deal, or any other self-help plan the Chicago committee may recommend.

Talk at the Times centers on many different scenarios the company may opt to take, and how these plans will influence the workers and their future at the newspaper.

The majority of my colleagues have no clue that Andres Martinez was an editor for the newspaper, but I’m not mad at them. I have no clue who Kobe might be, he plays baseball I think?

It would be great to hear from Dennis FitzSimons or David Hiller on how the different plans would change my life and retirement, because I have no clue at the moment.

Take Back the Times: Good Riddance To Goofball Andres Martinez

Take Back the Times: Good Riddance To Goofball Andres Martinez

Good riddance to a man, who, like his predecessor, Michael Kinsley, did some mighty strange things as editor of the editorial pages, including terminating the services in his area of three Pulitzer Prize winners.

We can expect that now, like Kinsley before him, Martinez will industriously try to smear the newspaper which gave him employment in the first place. Kinsley has pursued a vendetta against the Times, and to some extent all newspapers, and now Martinez will too.

Message From James O'Shea Editor LAT

From: OShea, James
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 5:32 PM
To: yyeditall
Subject: What's really important

To the Staff:

Sometimes it is hard to remember what we are really about when controversy swirls around the newsroom. Then, news breaks such as the Associated Press naming Bill Plaschke the nation's best sports columnist in large newspapers, reminding us of what is truly important -- quality journalism for our readers. Bill's honor and many other awards announced in recent weeks remind me of what an excellent newspaper this staff puts out every day, from Baghdad to Los Angeles, from Washington to Sacramento. You all should be so proud of yourselves and your paper. We can't get distracted by noise from those on the sidelines.

Since the start of the year, we've won so many awards that I really can't list them all. Consider this: The Times Sports department won the Triple Crown for placing among the Top 10 newspapers in the nation for best Sunday, daily and special sports sections. Ken Weiss and Usha Lee McFarling not only won the George Polk Award for the Altered Oceans series, they, along with Rick Loomis, also won numerous other awards, including National Journalism awards sponsored by Scripps Howard and the Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism. Charles Ornstein, Tracy Weber and Alan Zarembo are Investigative Reporting finalists in the Scripps Howard national competition for their work on organ transplants. Charles and Tracy are finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, too. Steve Lopez is a finalist for the prestigous Batten Medal awarded by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. We placed first or second in eight catagories [sic] of the AP News Executives Council awards and in seven catagories [sic] in that organization's photo and graphics competition. David Zucchino is a finalist for the Ernie Pyle Award. Judy Pasternak won the James Aronson Award for Social Justice for her "Blighted Homeland" series. The Photo staff won so many awards in the Picture of the Year International Competition that it would be impractical to list them all. The same is true for the Best of Phorojournalism awards from the National Press Photographers Association. In all, the photo staff had 10 winners. In the Society for News Design competitiion [sic], the Times placed first in total awards with 107, edging out the New York Times. The LA Times total is the highest in the history of the awards. And it's only March.

I also want to correct some misinformation being published on blogs by Andres Martinez. I don't want to engage in mud-slinging with Andres. He is a good journalist and I feel bad for him, worse today, in fact, than yesterday. But I'm also not going to sit here like some silent lamb while he distorts my record and attacks this newspaper and my newsroom.

I am not in charge of the editorial board of this newspaper. The editor of the editorial page reports directly and independently to Publisher David Hiller. That is as it should be. I strongly believe in the principle that separate editors should be in charge of news and opinion. To suggest that I told David Hiller I didn't want the editorial board reporting to me on a "whim" is untrue. He is referring to part of a longer conversation with Nikki Finke, and to take my remarks out of context is unprofessional and sloppy. Moreover, no one in this newsroom is on a campaign to "storm the editorial page and bring it back into lockstep with the newsroom." It is true that we have journalists in the newsroom who don't agree with Andres' views on the ethical problems that led to his resignation. I count myself among them. But these are legitimate, genuine differences of opinion held by people with a passion for the news and this newspaper. To suggest otherwise is pitiful. He also attacked Sue Horton and Julie Marquis for having the audacity to alert the editorial pages to the important work of the staff in case it might make a good editorial. Sue and Julie did nothing wrong.

Lastly, Andres suggests I came to Los Angeles as some sort of agent of Tribune Company to quell an "uprising by the imperial subjects." To refer to the journalists at this newspaper in such a manner is an insult to hard-working people who happen to disagree with Andres. I came here because it was an honor to be selected to lead a great newspaper with an excellent staff in one of the most interesting cities in the world. I will stand on my record and credentials as a newsman and journalist. The suggestion that I make decisions simply to curry favor with the staff is also simply untrue. We face hard times. If I have to make decisions that are unpopular with the staff but in the best long-term interest of this newspaper, I will not hesitate to make them. That is what leadership is about. I've said that openly from the day that I walked into this newsroom.

I believe in full disclosure.

Jim

SOURCE LAObserved

Friday, March 23, 2007

Tribune Stock Trending in Right Direction

Wednesday night Sam Zell enhanced his offer for the Tribune Company, and the stock (TRB) has lurched to over $30 a share. Today's closing price of Tribune stock was $30.53 with an increase of $1.03 today, and 2,805,420 shares were traded.

One week from today Tribune Employees will know where the company is headed, or at least we hope to know something by then.

Los Angeles Times in the News

Andrés Martinez Departing Message - LAObserved
Kevin Roderick posts an e-mail from Andrés Martinez and requests feedback from journalist’s mentioned.

Martinez Resigns Over Hiller Decision - Fishbowl LA
David Hiller, left with very few options, kills the much touted guest editor special publication planned for this Sunday's Current Section.

Talk About Bad Timing - Easy Writer
He's got a divorce coming up, he'll probably break up with the publicist, and now he hasn't got a job.

LA Times' Opinion Chief Walks - Los Angeles Times
Publisher David D. Hiller's decision Thursday to scrap a special opinion section to avoid the appearance of an ethical breach triggered the resignation of Editorial Page Editor Andr–s Martinez, who accused the paper's editor and publisher of overreacting.

I Am Sorry I Let You Down - Opinion LA
With eighty-five comments and counting, readers respond regarding the Brian Grazer selection to guest edit Current this Sunday.

Editor Quits Over A Hollywood Connection - Washington Post
The editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times resigned yesterday after acknowledging a romantic relationship with a publicist for Brian Grazer, the Hollywood producer who had been tapped to serve as guest editor of the paper's opinion section on Sunday.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Statement from the Publisher

March 22, 2007

Contact:
Los Angeles Times
Nancy Sullivan
213-237-6160
nancy.sullivan at latimes.com

This morning we made the decision to stop production of this coming Sunday’s Current section that was to unveil a new “Guest Editor” program, with the debut edition headed by Oscar™ and Emmy™-winning writer-producer Brian Grazer.

The reason for this decision is that a potential conflict of interest had emerged over a personal relationship between The Times’ Editorial Page Editor Andrés Martinez and a public relations executive from a firm doing work for Brian. We believe that this relationship did not influence the selection of Brian as guest editor. Nonetheless, in order to avoid even the appearance of conflict, we felt the best course of action was not to publish the section. The trust our readers place in us, built over 125 years, is of the highest importance and we try never to do anything that would call that into question.

I want to underscore that nothing in this situation is, in any way, a reflection on Brian Grazer, who has been honorable and generous throughout. I’m sorry that he and the wonderful group of contributors he had assembled have been put through this. The fine contributors include Paul Ekman on lie detection; André Leon Talley on fashion and status; Eric Kandel on the brain and psychotherapy; Dalton Conley on political polling and bias; Shepard Fairy with a special illustration; Marty Singer on the increasingly brazen tabloids and paparazzi; and Sam Hall Kaplan on L.A. I want to thank them for their willingness to participate in this novel idea and hope there will be an avenue to bring these creative, thoughtful and insightful pieces to our readers in the near future.

Also today, Andrés Martinez has submitted his resignation and I have accepted it. I understand and respect his decision. I valued him as a colleague and thank him for his contributions to this great paper.

David D. Hiller
Publisher, Los Angeles Times
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Labels: Andres Martinez, David Hiller, Los Angeles Times

Editor resigns over killed opinion section

By James Rainey

Los Angeles Times Editorial Page Editor Andres Martinez resigned this morning over the paper's decision to cancel a special edition of its Sunday Current section.

Martinez made the decision after Publisher David D. Hiller announced this morning that The Times would not publish this Sunday's Current section in order to avoid the appearance that a conflict of interest led to the selection of Hollywood producer Brian Grazer as a guest editor.

In the Times' Opinion blog, Martinez said that "David Hiller's decision to kill the Brian Grazer section this Sunday makes my continued tenure as Los Angeles Times editorial page editor untenable. The person in this job needs to have an unimpeachable integrity, and Hiller's decision amounts to a vote of no confidence in my continued leadership."

Continue reading the Los Angeles Times by clicking on title.

Martinez Resigns

Just received word that Andres Martinez has resigned in the wake of "Grazergate."
Don't know if he did anything consciously subversive, however, the quality of his work on the editorial pages has been taken to task by pros such as Ken Reich and Bill Boyarsky in the past. And truly if he was ever going to be asked to resign, I hope it would be for this reason.

Had I been Martinez, I never would have agreed to give up command of such an influential post without one hell of a fight, let alone to someone inexperienced as Brian Grazer. His willingness to cede his post for that one Sunday was an indication of either extreme pressure from other forces or a leadership that was uncertain.

Let the investigation begin.

The Last Word

From Bill Boyarsky

“If a newspaper, even a great newspaper like the Los Angeles Times, loses credibility with its community, with its readers, with its advertisers, with its shareholders, that is probably the most serious circumstance that I can possibly think of. Respect and credibility of a newspaper is irreplaceable. Sometimes it can never be restored no matter what steps might be taken in terms of apology by the publisher, apology by the head of Times Mirror or whatever post event strategies might be developed in the hopes of putting the pieces back together.

“When I think back through the history…of this great newspaper…I realize how fragile and irreplaceable a public trust a newspaper is. This public trust and faith in a newspaper by its employees, its readers, the community, is dearer to me than life itself.” -Otis Chandler, 1999