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LA Times Shakeup: He Said, He Said

Editor who may have quit, publisher who may have fired him disagree

By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 22, 2008 2:23 PM CST

(Newser) – In announcing that James O'Shea was leaving the LA Times, publisher David Hiller said the paper's top editor was "unable to make the hard choices" involved in budget-cutting. But the rift may run deeper: O'Shea tells the Wall Street Journal his ideological differences over how to save a sinking paper just didn't gel with Hiller's.

"The way out of this problem is not retrenchment," says O'Shea. He says he preferred to boost revenues by investing in better journalism, rather than continuing a downward spiral of falling sales requiring cutbacks. Another area in which Hiller and O'Shea diverge: whether the editor quit or was fired. Hiller, who maintains the decision was mutual, calls the disagreement a "semantic" one.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper buildings are seen on Jan. 9, 2007. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
The Los Angeles Times newspaper buildings are seen on Jan. 9, 2007. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)   (Associated Press)
David Hiller, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, left, Randy Michaels, newly appointed CEO of the Interactive and Broadcasting divisions of Tribune Co., center, and Scott Smith, right, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, listen to real estate billionaire Sam Zell comment on his purchase of the Tribune Company during a...
David Hiller, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, left, Randy Michaels, newly appointed CEO of the Interactive and Broadcasting divisions of Tribune Co., center, and Scott Smith, right, publisher of the...   (Associated Press)
A 2006 LA Times front page is shown in this file photo.
A 2006 LA Times front page is shown in this file photo.   (Wikimedia Commons)
Real estate billionaire Sam Zell responds to a question on his purchase of the Tribune Company during a news conference at the Tribune Tower in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007. Zell took control of newly private Tribune Co. on Thursday and began shaking up the newspaper and TV company the...
Real estate billionaire Sam Zell responds to a question on his purchase of the Tribune Company during a news conference at the Tribune Tower in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007. Zell took control of newly...   (Associated Press)
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