The Washington, D.C. staff of the Tribune Co. was shaken by a speech by Sam Zell, according to an article by Phil Rosenthal in the Chicago Tribune. "Break down these… walls," Zell is quoted as telling the editorial staff of the Washington bureaus'.

The new owner of the Tribune Co. has said in speeches around the Company that the walls and entrances that separate the bureaus in Washington are ridiculous. Rosenthal reports Zell seems to feel diplomacy has gotten the Company nowhere so far.

"To Zell, the bureau isn't home to reporters from its Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Newsday and Los Angeles Times," Rosenthal reports, "it's a single, overstaffed Tribune Co. cost center." Rosenthal reports that Zell told the group the "fiefdoms" are an embarrassment.

Zell is reported to have singled out the Los Angeles Times. After a exchange with LA Times bureau chief Doyle McManus about staffing, Zell is reported to have asked, "your revenue is down 20 percent. How many of the (staff) did you get rid of?" Zell went on to point out that the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau has more staff than that assigned to Orange County, California.

The exchange angered Ken Reich. In his blog, Take Back the Times, Reich calls new Managing Editor Russ Stanton unqualified and a lackey-editor of a lackey publisher. "Zell, a corrupt Chicago billionaire, has little regard for, and no understanding of the newspaper business," Reich says. Zell is a "crass jackass. But at least he did not smoke any pot while he was at the bureau." Source for that remark Reich?

McManus held follow-on meetings with Zell after the speech. Reich reports that McManus "put the best possible interpretation on things… (saying) Zell… should not be taken literally" in a memo to staff. (A copy of the memo to staff is at LA Observed). Rosenthal says McManus held a meeting with L A Times staff, which Rosenthal describes as rattled, after Zell left.

Reich notes Stanton defended Zell to Rosenthal and answers, "Stanton has decided… to be a traitor to… LA Times quality and interests. So much for him."

Other views: Michael Tackett of the Chicago Tribune talked to Editor & Publisher.