Newsonomics: A (Publishing) Obit For Michael Ferro

On Friday afternoon, Tronc announced that its lead shareholder Merrick Media, led by just-resigned board chairman Michael Ferro, was selling its entire stake in the company. McCormick Media — managed by Sargent McCormick, a distant relative of the McCormick family that controlled the Chicago ...

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Newsonomics: The Financialization of News Is Dimming the Lights of the Local Press

There’s a nice scene in Hail, Caesar!, the Coen brothers’ latest movie, in which one Hollywood character astutely observes: “We’re not talking about money — we’re talking about economics.” Indeed. This year’s crazy-making U.S. presidential election further illuminates and blurs that divide. ...

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Southern California Roll-up Gains Impetus, as Orange County Register Declares Bankruptcy

Today, the Orange County Register’s parent Freedom Communications Inc. said it would file for bankruptcy protection Monday, at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Santa Ana. The long-expected move (which I’ve recently noted) further sets the stage for the continuing ...

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What Are They Thinking? Tribune in Final Bidding to Buy U-T San Diego

Tribune Publishing is one of three final bidders on the acquisition of U-T San Diego, the entity formerly known as the San Diego Union-Tribune, according to several confidential sources. For Tribune Publishing, spun off from Tribune Broadcasting six months ago, San Diego—California’s second ...

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TNR, the AQ and the Perils of New (and Old) News Management

First published at Capital New York    On Thursday, I had lunch with a veteran colleague in the news trade. He’s a top editor, an innovator in digital-only, magazine and newspaper media. Like many, he’s between jobs. He’ll have plenty of opportunities, but finding the ...

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The Envelopes Open on the Sale of Digital First Media Newspapers

Valentine’s Day may be coming early for Digital First Media this week. DFM’s board and UBS, its broker, open the envelopes, looking for affection. It’s an uneasy love-me/love-me-not time, newspapers’ version of Match.com. Will DFM’s affection for the open market be returned, or will it be left ...

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How Interim is Everything About The Orange County Register?

Lots of words come to mind to describe Aaron Kushner’s Orange County Register. The best one may be the title that’s been given to Kushner’s successor as CEO and publisher: interim. Can we call the announcement of casino executive Rich Mirman as Kushner’s replacement a surprise? Hardly. That’s a ...

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Newsonomics: Digital First Media’s Newspapers Half-Billion Dollar Pricetag (and California Schemin’)

Could the sale of the Digital First Media properties lead to the U.S.’s first quasi-national newspaper company? That’s the hope of DFM’s current owners, and the shiniest lure tossed out into the newspaper property marketplace by UBS, the unorthodox pick of DFM to be its banker/broker as its six ...

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What Splitsville Tells Us — and New Intrigue in L.A.

First published at Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab   Earlier, related posts: Tribune’s Latest Lease on Life                                        Split ‘Ems — & Then There Was Gannett                           ... Read More

Newsonomics: Tribune’s Latest Lease on Life

Follow Newsonomics on Twitter @kdoctor Companion post: Newsonomics: Split ‘Ems — & Then There Was Gannett   First published at Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab “We’re getting toward the end of the finish line,” Jack Griffin tells me as he sits in a car whooshing to an ...

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