L.A. Observed

The New York Times story on the LAT editor change assumes that a troubling period lies ahead—and makes it clear that departing boss John Carroll has been spilling to his friends in the industry about the Tribune Company's desires to cut in Los Angeles. Former NYT Managing Editor Eugene Roberts, who hired Carroll at the Philadelphia Inquirer, says what the Tribune Company is proposing amounts to a "national tragedy." He adds that Carroll did not want to "preside over a major diminishment or the destruction of the L.A. Times as we now know it." William Marimow, the managing editor of National Public Radio who succeeded Carroll at the Baltimore Sun, said the Tribune's budget plans "would require dismantling much of what he'd done."

Carroll and Dean Baquet, his replacement as Editor, had discussed leaving together rather than impose the Tribune's cuts [which are not detailed anywhere that I know of], writes NYT reporter Katharine Q. Seelye. Baquet, she reports, began "marathon discussions" with the Tribune in late June about his future and is believed to have spoken to other papers about a job. He tells Seelye that he got some assurances before taking the top LAT post:
"Well, I am staying," Mr. Baquet said in a telephone interview. "Obviously these are going to be tough times financially for this paper, and for all papers - every paper in America will have to tighten its belt. But the fact that I agreed to become editor means we will have the resources we need to keep getting better."

Thursday's story by the L.A. Times staff media writer James Rainey confirms some of the intense behind-the-scenes wrangling that preceeded Wednesday's announcement...Read on...