Daily News's Anderson leaves the county beat

Troy Anderson is leaving his job as county reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News and LANG chain. He plans to freelance for magazines. LA Observed has his note to staff here.

Managing editor of the Press-Enterprise set to leave

John Gryka, managing editor of the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, sent a memo to employees to say next week will be his last at the newspaper. Gryka has worked at the Press-Enterprise for 23 years and took over as managing editor in 2004.

Layoffs, departures at the Press-Enterprise

The Press-Enterprise in Riverside laid off 11 pressmen, a photo tech, and an editorial assistant this week, I'm told. No word on whether the Belo-owned newspaper plans to change its printing operations.

The paper also had some recent departures from the newsroom, but not due to layoffs. Cops reporter Paul LaRocco is headed to Newsday and prep sports reporter and columnist Matt Calkins took a job with the Vancouver (Wash.) Columbian to cover the Portland Trail Blazers.

Press-Telegram gets a new editor

The Long Beach Press-Telegram will undergo a major personnel change on the editorial side at the end of the month. Rich Archbold, who has served as the newspaper's executive editor since 1997 and managing editor for 19 years before that, is leaving his job to become "community liaison director" - meaning he'll be the public face of the paper at community and civic events. Sue Schmitt, a former editor of the Daily Breeze in Torrance, will take over in a dual role as editor and general manager of the Press-Telegram. The press releases are here and here.

Another Times reporter departs

Los Angeles Times political reporter Janet Hook has left the Los Angeles Times to work for the Wall Street Journal, where she'll cover Congress (Talking Biz News via LA Observed). She's the third reporter to leave in recent days. Former Times Sacramento reporter Michael Rothfeld also landed at the WSJ as well. He's covering legal issues for the paper's Law Blog. Jim Tankersley, who covered energy and environmental issues, went to the National Journal to cover economics.

Los Angeles Times loses two reporters*

The Los Angeles Times has lost at least two talented reporters in recent days, according to the media site Gorkana. Michael Rothfeld*, who covered Sacramento issues, including the state's prison reforms, is out. No word on where he's gone, only a note that "all inquiries" should be directed to Sacramento bureau chief Evan Halper.

Also leaving is Jim Tankersley, who had covered energy and the environment for the Times out of the Tribune Co.'s Washington Bureau. He was snapped up by the National Journal, which has gone on a hiring spree of sorts in recent weeks to beef up its economic coverage. Tankersley will be an economic correspondent for the Journal.

*Update: Rothfeld has headed back to New York to work on the Wall Street Journal's Law Blog.

Westin, head of ABC News, leaving

David Westin, president of ABC News, told staff that he's ready to "move on." From the New York Times writeup:

In his e-mail, Mr. Westin said, “There are some other things I want to do professionally — things that I cannot explore while fulfilling my responsibilities here.”

Of course, it's never as simple as that. Most reports say Westin was forced out because he wasn't forward thinking enough. Again, from the NYT:

[An] ABC News staff member informed of the decision said that Disney and ABC managers had pressed Mr. Westin for years to make the division more profitable, but had been unhappy with his efforts to accomplish that goal. ABC announced in February that it would reduce its staff by up to 400 employees, about 25 percent of its work force.

Publisher out at the Desert Sun*, **

**Just getting word that the publisher of the Desert Sun, Rich Ramhoff, is out of a job and the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Rick Green, will step in as interim publisher. The Desert Sun is owned by Gannett and based in Palm Springs.

*Update: A press release from the Desert Sun says Ramhoff " is taking a new assignment within Gannett Co." The release does not specify what the new assignment will be.


**Update II: Jim Hopkins at Gannett Blog offers a little perspective on Ramhoff's sudden departure. His take: This was no promotion, as Ramhoff's reassignment comes amid financial struggles in Gannett's western division. From Gannett Blog:

The Sun is part of Gannett's West Group, a portfolio of community dailies whose financial performance has been unsatisfactory to Corporate, one of my readers says. Revenue is down at several of the papers, my reader says, and rumors are flying that some directors have been asked to offer contingency cuts that could take effect sometime in the last quarter of this year.

West Group President Laura Hollingsworth, who also is publisher of The Des Moines Register, personally delivered news of Ramhoff's reassignment to staff yesterday, three of my readers say. According to one of those readers, Hollingsworth told staff, "there is money sitting on the table" -- a reference to untapped advertising dollars the Sun hasn't been aggressive enough in chasing.

Gannett's four California papers were hit especially hard in the real estate bust. The Sun's circulation is about 46,000 Monday through Friday, and 52,000 on Sundays.

Newsweek like a house on fire

Journalists are running from Newsweek as fast as they can. The latest escapee is Michael Hirsh, the magazine's national economics correspondent (and former chief diplomatic correspondent). Fareed Zakaria recently bolted for Time magazine. Investigative reporter Michael Isikoff left for NBC News. Deputy managing editor Evan Thomas announced his retirement earlier this month, as did Editor John Meacham. But it's not just the stars. According to Gawker, Digital GM Geoff Reiss, editorial director Mark Miller, and digital executive editor Gabriel Snyder have also departed.

Sidney Harman, Rep. Jane Harman's rich husband, bought the debt-laden magazine and threatened to outsource some of the work. The loss of big-name journalists could hurt the magazine's content, but could also stave off some layoffs, given that they probably earned fancy incomes. Still, it must be a fear fest inside the Newsweek offices these days.

L.A. Times national security reporter goes to college

Josh Meyer, national security correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, is leaving the paper to take a job at Northwestern's Medill journalism school. Meyer was a frequent guest on "To The Point" and his reporting will be missed. His new gig, however, seems timely and worthy indeed.

Here's part of his goodbye email to staff (via LA Observed):

I’ve decided to accept an offer from Northwestern University’s Medill journalism school to help it build a National Security Journalism Initiative.

It wasn’t easy, given how much fun it has been to work for The Times, and more recently, with my Tribune colleagues here in DC, and to watch the daily miracle of seeing so many talented people working together to create such great journalism, both in print and online.

But after much soul-searching, I decided that this is too important, and novel, an opportunity to pass up. We’ll be trying to create something that will play a key role in the urgent effort to figure out how to teach—and how to do—the all-important kinds of national security journalism in this changing news environment.

The complete memo is here.

Daily News reporter departs

After five years as a beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, Sue Doyle is leaving to do freelance. LA Observed has a memo from Daily News editor Carolina Garcia praising Doyle's work and promising a goodbye cake. You can read it here.

A little off the top in Oregon, Tampa

The two top editors at the Oregonian and the Tampa Tribune, both of whom are women, have announced that they will step down.

Sandra Mims Rowe, who led the Oregonian to five Pulitzers in her 16 years at the helm, leaves as the paper prepares for a round of layoffs - she said the paper has too many top editors to justify the expense of keeping her on.

Tribune editor Janet Coats has shepherded her paper through six rounds of layoffs since 2005. She said she chose now to resign because the paper is now on more stable financial footing.

(found via Romenesko)

Union-Tribune editor to step down

Karin Winner, the respected editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune, told staff today that she plans to step down at the end of the year after 15 years on the job.

Winner leaves after a year of turmoil at the newspaper, which lost a substantial portion of its newsroom after being sold to a private equity firm from Beverly Hills.

The paper's publisher, Ed Moss, formerly the head of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, said the paper will begin an immediate search for Winner's replacement.

From the U-T:

Winner began her career in 1976 as a reporter at The San Diego Union, rising through the management ranks and assuming the role of executive editor of the newly merged San Diego Union-Tribune in 1992 (the merger of The San Diego Union and Evening Tribune). Three years later, she took on the lead role of editor of the county’s largest daily newspaper.

The paper won two Pulitzer Prizes during Winner's reign, in 2006 and in 2009.

Artley exits Times

Meredith Artley, online managing editor for the Los Angeles Times, has announced she'll be leaving this month to go to CNN.com. LA Observed has a memo from Times Editor Russ Stanton and a goodbye note from Artley to the staff.

As the Times turn

Today's a day of turnover at the Los Angeles Times. LA Observed reports one arrival and two departures at the paper:

Steve Gellman was named the new publisher of LAT magazine. Jack Klunder, head of circulation at the Times, and a former LANGer, is leaving for points unknown. And Gawker Media announced that LATimes.com entertainment editor Richard Rushfield will become its West Coast editor.

Comings and goings

Thursday was reporter Shelly Leachman's last day the Daily Breeze. Before she left, she said goodbye to journalism in a note. LA Observed has a copy.

Ornstein, Weber to ProPublica

LA Observed reports that Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber, who combined to bring us the blockbuster piece on King-Drew Medical Center, are leaving the Los Angeles Times for ProPublica. Here's the link.

Barrera leaving SGVN

Edward Barrera announced today he is stepping down as metro editor of the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group (Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Whittier Daily News). I'm told he plans to return to his native New York after a well-deserved vacation in Guatemala.

Barrera and I started as editors together at SGVN, back in 2006. We'd both had our frustrations as reporters, watching our own newsrooms shrink, and hoped to do something constructive from the other side of the line. Barrera advanced from city editor to metro editor while I flailed about as politics editor for a paper too small to need one.

I left to take a reporting job in the Daily Journal's Sacramento bureau, but Barrera stuck around and helped steer the ship through some rough seas. The worst of it came in March with the announcement of another round of layoffs.

Eddie was one of the good guys. He will be missed.

Comings and goings

Two imminent departures from the Los Angeles Newspaper Group to report.

Josh Kleinbaum, director of audience development for LANG, has given notice and will be leaving as of June 3. Kleinbaum says: "My wife, who works for Yahoo, got the opportunity for a job in their NY office, so we're moving to New York (where I grew up, and all my family is). I don't have a job yet, but have a few good leads and am pretty confident I'll land something. I'm looking at jobs in the online content development world, not just at newspapers."

Fred Ortega, who covers Pasadena City Hall for the Pasadena Star-News, just gave his two-weeks notice today. He is leaving to take a job as community affairs deputy for Board of Equalization chairwoman Judy Chu. He will be working out of her Monterey Park headquarters.