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Media Decoder Blog: After Staff Reductions, New Appointments at The Times

January 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment

9:06 p.m. | Updated The New York Times announced on Monday a restructured masthead and some significant newsroom appointments, while also saying that the staff reductions the company was seeking had been accomplished primarily through voluntary buyouts.

In a memo to the staff, Jill Abramson, the executive editor, outlined many of the coming changes at the paper, saying she hoped they would help The Times continue “to meet the challenges of remaking ourselves for the digital age.”

Ms. Abramson acknowledged in her memo that this round of staff reductions seemed different from previous ones, because it resulted in the loss of some of the most prominent editors at the paper. Among those choosing to take buyout packages were John M. Geddes, a managing editor; Jim Roberts, an assistant managing editor; and Jonathan Landman, the head of the culture department.

William E. Schmidt, the deputy managing editor, is also leaving.

Ms. Abramson also presented plans for a transformed masthead. Larry Ingrassia, the former business editor, will become an assistant managing editor for new initiatives, which includes the expansion of The Times’s international coverage. Janet Elder will become an assistant managing editor with responsibility for overseeing newsroom resources, including the budget, as well as for dealing with compensation and staff development. Ian Fisher will become an assistant managing editor for content operations, with responsibility for overseeing the continued integration of the digital and print sides of The Times.

Jason Stallman, a deputy sports editor, will be the new sports editor, succeeding Joe Sexton, who announced last week he was moving to ProPublica. Ms. Abramson said she would announce the new culture editor in the next two weeks.

Rick Berke, currently an assistant managing editor, will now focus on video, an area the company has been trying to expand. Glenn Kramon, another assistant managing editor, will join the business department to oversee technology coverage.

“The changes under way are part of the journey that we’ve been on for years,” Ms. Abramson wrote in her memo. “Integrating our print and digital operations, expanding our reporting, deepening our ways of telling stories, innovating in ways that make our journalism the literal envy of our profession and the joy of our readers.”

In early December, Ms. Abramson said the newsroom needed to contribute to the company’s cost-cutting efforts, and announced she was seeking 30 managers who were not union members to accept buyout packages. The company also allowed employees represented by the Newspaper Guild to volunteer for buyout packages. Employees had until Thursday to decide.

Ms. Abramson had said that if the paper did not get the required number of volunteers the company would have to resort to layoffs. But her note to the staff on Monday indicated that layoffs were kept to a minimum.

Here is Ms. Abramson’s memo to the staff:

Colleagues,

I wanted to let you know quickly that we are through the process of offering voluntary buyouts and cutting staff. In the end, we had to lay off far fewer people than we anticipated, having achieved most of our savings through the voluntary process.

We will continue to reposition ourselves, to meet the challenges of remaking ourselves for the digital age. The changes under way are part of the journey that we’ve been on for years: integrating our print and digital operations, expanding our reporting, deepening our ways of telling stories, innovating in ways that make our journalism the literal envy of our profession and the joy of our readers.

This means that some colleagues are changing roles. Rick Berke will now focus on video as it becomes an even bigger part of our news report. Glenn Kramon will steer our technology coverage when it is at the heart of how the world turns. These are urgent assignments requiring leaders who know the full panoply of what the newsroom is capable of doing.

We will be naming a new culture editor in the next two weeks. Jason Stallman will be our new sports editor.

Our operational needs will continue to be handled by those on the masthead, which will now include some new names. Larry Ingrassia will be the assistant managing editor for new initiatives. In this role he will spearhead our many new ventures and revenue projects. There are several already in the works, including our expansion of international coverage.

Janet Elder will be assistant managing editor for newsroom administration. She will oversee newsroom resources, including managing our budget and dealing with compensation, staffing, career development and training.

Ian Fisher will be assistant managing editor for content operations. He will manage the deepening integration of our digital and print news reports, working closely with interactive news, engagement, mobile and technology.

In the coming days and weeks we will have time to pause and express our affection and boundless gratitude for our departing colleagues. Some of the longest-serving leaders in the newsroom are leaving, people who have given The Times so much of themselves and are responsible for so much of our excellence. Among them is John Geddes, whose smarts, ability to seamlessly get us through all manner of crises from hurricanes to blackouts and of course his ability to make us laugh at ourselves, will be sorely missed. Jon Landman is leaving too. He epitomizes the integrity and ingenuity of this place. Bill Schmidt, whose charm and grace symbolize the fundamental humanity of our newsroom, is planning to leave as well.

The very tread of Jim Roberts’s cowboy boots means: “We have this covered.” He will be moving on, as will Joe Sexton, fresh off the glory of the Avalanche project

But just as these inspiring leaders stood on the shoulders of those who came before, we are shored up by the accomplishments of our departing colleagues and challenged to reach even higher. As we start a new chapter, we are more resolved in our purpose and more committed to our standards.

Let us settle into this new world order. Then fire away with questions and criticisms.

Thanks to all of you for your patience.

Fondly,
Jill

Article source: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/times-announces-masthead-restructuring-and-top-newsroom-appointments/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Filed Under: Media Business Tagged With: , ,

Media Decoder: John Geddes, Managing Editor, Is Leaving The New York Times

January 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

John M. Geddes, left, with the executive editor of The New York Times, Jill Abramson, and a fellow managing editor, Dean Baquet.Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times John M. Geddes, left, with the executive editor of The New York Times, Jill Abramson, and a fellow managing editor, Dean Baquet.

2:37 p.m. | Updated John M. Geddes, a managing editor at The New York Times for the last decade and one of the top three editors at the newspaper, has decided to leave. In a note to the staff on Friday afternoon, Mr. Geddes, 61, said he was accepting a buyout package and would depart in the next few months after helping the newspaper’s masthead through its transition.

His departure comes as the company undertakes a broader restructuring in the newsroom. Like many news organizations facing a declining advertising market, The Times is trying to cut expenses; in December buyout packages were offered to nonunion staff members. It sought 30 volunteers, and said it would resort to layoffs if not enough employees opted for the buyout. It also allowed some union members to apply for buyout packages as well.

In his note, Mr. Geddes reflected on the many things he would miss about The Times, where he has worked for nearly two decades.

“After serving four executive editors, it is time for new horizons,” Mr. Geddes wrote in his announcement. He said he would “ache for the vibrations that the newsroom gives off when a crisis erupts and we scramble” and would miss “hearing about a great story (or new ways to tell one).”

Mr. Geddes joined The Times in 1994 as business editor and worked his way up the company’s editorial ranks. He currently serves as one of two managing editors, along with Dean Baquet. Before joining The Times, he spent 13 years at The Wall Street Journal working both in New York and in Europe.

Jill Abramson, the executive editor, said in a statement: “John Geddes is the consummate newsman with superb instincts for stories and people. We’ve been partners in the newsroom for nearly a decade. He has given his all to The Times for far longer than that. Most of all, I’ll miss his company.”

Here is Mr. Geddes’s memo to the staff:

A man walks out of a bar . . .

I’m moving on. I’ve arrived at that magical spot where a buyout offer miraculously appears and presents me with new opportunities. Yes, yes, I know everyone says you have to do this carefully and be armed with a plan, but I don’t have one – not yet.

Frankly, I blame this lack of personal preparedness on this place. I’ve always believed The New York Times works because it is, at heart, a collective of unique individuals bound together in pursuit of great journalism. We’re about the common goal, not about jostling one another for a place in a transitory spotlight. The mission is about us, not about me or you.

We know that our vaunted pedestal is really the achievement of those who came before us, and our chief charge is to build on their legacy. While our readers and our colleagues — you —are the ultimate jury, I’ve tried over the last 15 years on the masthead to do my best to help figure out how we marshal the resources to cover the news, develop one another’s talents and secure as firm a hold as we can on our digital future.

I’ve tried to do it with both brains and heart. You’ve deserved no less, and I’m going to miss you. I’ll ache for the vibrations that the newsroom gives off when a crisis erupts and we scramble. I’ll miss helping shape new sections, launching new apps, hearing about a great story (or new ways to tell one) and seeing you in the elevators, across the floor and at the New Faces parties at my apartment.
I got into this profession partly because I wanted a job without repetition, a chance to deal with something new each day. Geez, Louise, I got what I asked for. I’ve had fun, and even on the bad days couldn’t imagine not coming into work.

But after serving four executive editors, it is time for new horizons. Jill has asked me to delay my departure for a few months to help with the masthead transition. I’m happy to do that because it will give me time to say thanks to so many of you individually.

. . . and on his arm is a wonderful woman he met inside.
Best, John

Article source: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/18/john-geddes-managing-editor-is-leaving-new-york-times/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Media Decoder Blog: The New York Times Names a New Business Editor

December 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Dean Murphy, a reporter and editor with The New York Times for the last 12 years, will be the next editor of the business section of The Times. The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon in a memo from Jill Abramson, executive editor of The Times.

Ms. Abramson described Mr. Murphy as “one of our most accomplished editors, a staunch advocate for reporters and a fine writer himself.” She added that “his years of reporting from abroad and from both coasts as well as his role as deputy national editor brought heart and breadth to our already superb business report.”

Mr. Murphy previously worked at The Los Angeles Times where he was a foreign correspondent based in Poland and South Africa.

Since he joined The Times, he has reported on politics, worked as a San Francisco correspondent and served as deputy national editor. Ms. Abramson credited Mr. Murphy for his editing of highly regarded articles, including the work on the hidden wealth of Wen Jiabao’s family, as well as the series on the iEconomy.

Mr. Murphy replaces Larry Ingrassia. While it is unclear what Mr. Ingrassia’s new position will be, Ms. Abramson said it would be “a larger role” that will be announced early next year.

Article source: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/new-york-times-names-new-business-editor/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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