LA TIMES GETS ONLINE ED AS CHIEF

Hmmm ... Is this a sign of things to come?

L.A. Times Editor Post Goes to Web Site Chief

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 15, 2008

The Los Angeles Times named its fourth editor in three years yesterday, asking Russ Stanton, who holds the title of innovation editor, to lead a staff rocked by budget cutbacks and management shake-ups.

The appointment of Stanton, who beat out another in-house candidate, comes less than a month after the paper dismissed Jim O'Shea from the post in a battle over budget reductions. O'Shea replaced Dean Baquet, who was fired during a similar fight 16 months ago.

Stanton, 49, will have to make do with less. Sam Zell, the Chicago real estate mogul who recently took control of the parent Tribune Co., announced Wednesday that he would cut 400 to 500 jobs throughout the media company. Times Publisher David Hiller said that would mean eliminating 100 to 150 jobs at his paper -- by layoffs if necessary -- including 40 to 50 in the newsroom.

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