L.A. Times names two new managing editors

Reuters
Tuesday, October 11, 2005

The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday named two new managing editors, one to
oversee newsgathering and the other to help attract more readers to the
newspaper.

One of its new managing editors, Leo Wolinsky, who is currently deputy
managing editor, will be responsible for gaining more circulation as
well as overseeing budget and staffing for the newsroom.

His appointment comes as the L.A. Times and the rest of the industry
struggles with declining readership, due to the loss of younger readers
and competition from new media like the Internet.

Doug Frantz, an investigative reporter currently based in Istanbul, will
become the other managing editor. Frantz will be in charge of news
operations, including foreign, metro, national, Washington, business,
sports, science and obituaries.

Both managing editors will report to L.A. Times Editor Dean Baquet, the
Tribune Co. newspaper said in a release.

“I wanted an aggressive way to address the issue of declining
readership, to have someone focus on it,” Baquet said. “And I wanted
someone to run the newsroom day-to-day. For a newspaper of our scope and
complexity, this would be enough work for more than one person.”

Baquet previously served as the newspaper’s managing editor, and was
promoted to editor in August.