The decision to combine editor and publisher roles is an ‘equal and opposite reaction’ to Griffin’s strategy at Tribune

You might have heard: Tribune Publishing is combining the role of editor and publisher at several of its newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune (Tribune Publishing)

But did you know: While former Tribune CEO Jack Griffin was in the pursuit of a national advertising base, Rick Edmonds writes that the decisions made so far by CEO Justin Dearborn and board chairman Michael Ferro seem to be an “equal and opposite reaction” to Griffin’s strategy. Dearborn and Ferro, who come from the health care and technology industries, have concluded that a separate role to oversee advertising and finance is obsolete and have described the new approach as “content-first.”

+ Ken Doctor says the decision is a confusing one from a business perspective, because local publishers are a key role in communities and important for selling local ads: “Publishers are supposed to tend to the business of the paper and editors to serving the readers. The inherent conflict in conflating the two roles must be acknowledged” (Politico Media)

+ Tribune says it is still bidding for the Orange County Register and other assets from bankrupt Freedom Communications (Orange County Register)

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from American Press Institute http://ift.tt/21GdfrU