Changes at Los Angeles Times

Alston-Lasorda-Dwyre took up most of those 81 years, right?

 

Will it be around long enough to have seven more? Won't even ask about the prospects for 81 years.

 

It's kind of a sad thought - managers are now "breeding" a generation of reporters to not question what an authority figure says, and I've got to figure these "company men", operate the same way with their higher ups and the business side.
What was the old bromide? afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted? Now it's don't make waves, go along to get along and all the news that fits the budget.

 

I hope to someday work with people like Joe Williams, Frank_Ridgeway and DanOregon before I graduate to the great journalism wing in heaven.

Though I'll probably end up in the journalism wing in hell since I don't subscribe to the candy-ass editors and publishers that pollute the industry today or the soft beat writers that permeate this decade.

 

Mike James is a consummate professional and the type of manager who will be able to delegate work to subordinates, and then will allow them to do it.

His background with Fox Sports and FoxSports.net was no doubt a factor in his promotion, and hopefully, that experience will be brought to the fore as the Times tries to make its transition from traditional newspaper to multimedia company a successful one going forward.

John Arthur, a traditional news man who gave many hours and years of his life, and probably, his heart and soul, too, to the L.A. Times, can leave the newspaper with his head held high.

I hope he did, even if his resignation was not entirely voluntary.

 

That also extends to reporting on the newspaper's business so the public will know, or in some cases, not reporting on it at all.

Newspapers dig into their community's business dealings that can affect the public. Newspapers like to believe they are part of a public trust of sorts, but when it comes to their own layoffs, business dealings, major shifts in workforce or similar issues they often refuse to discuss it. They will issue a publisher's statement for a 6-inch story but not tell the public who is leaving in a buyout or why their physically-smaller newspaper with giant photos and less information will cost more.

Vivid personalities and questioning authority? There's the door, pal.

 

Absolutely dead-on nails.

In an era of the Peter Principle running amok on steroids, this is a great hire on every level.

"Consummate professional" describes Mike James to a T and is only one reason why he's the perfect person for this job. Feel free to put his name right now on the thread of what constitutes a "hell'uva sports editor."

 

More changes -- these ones very interesting, and probably, very good -- going on in L.A. Times Sports.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/readers/2009/08/sports-staff-changes-john-cherwa-houston-mitchell.html

Cherwa has been a major player in L.A., Orlando, Chicago and with the APSE. I'd say he adds credibility, and perhaps (hopefully), a renewed emphasis on the kind of serious, big-time investigative journalism for which the LAT has been known in the past and at which it can/should excel if it wants to be at its best, even in the future.

Mitchell has the distinction of being is the most-talented, most-versatile and most-underused writer in the Times' sports department.

That's because he's been slotted as a copy editor, of course, but still...

 

Nice hires, LA. Now if only you can get David Geffen aboard as an owner...

 

How did Cherwa go from Chicago Tribune to Orlando? That seems like an unusual move.

 

http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=2455

... plus a dose of ...

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:dhl3ftT4KJAJ:www.chicagoreader.com/hottype/2002/020118_2.html+cherwa+orlando+demotion&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari