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Goodbye, Mr. Puerner

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It looks like the Los Angeles Times is changing hands. The New York Times reported today that LA Times' publisher John P. Puerner will step down on May 31, citing the need to take "a self-imposed career break."

Jeffrey M. Johnson, current executive vice president and general manager, has been named to succeed Puerner. The Chicago Tribune reports that editor John Carroll will remain with the paper.

Despite five Pulitzer Prize wins last year, the LA Times is facing declining circulation and revenues--daily circulation of the Times dropped from 1,018,000 in 2000 to 902,000 last year. LAist wonders if parent company Tribune is putting the squeeze on the Times to cut costs? Will current declines in stock price foretell coming declines in quality? We hope not, and wish Mr. Johnson the best of luck.

Photo by Mark Friesen of Newsdesigner.com.

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Update: LA Observed has a copy of the memo circulated yesterday at the LA Times.

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