Hunter named Trib publisher

By Lou Grant | Sep 27, 6:09 AM

The redesign of the Chicago Tribune, the appointment of Tony Hunter as publisher of the newspaper and the appointment of Jane Hirt to an editorial position in the newsroom and Tran Ha to lead Red Eye is proof that the meritocracy promoted by Sam Zell on his takeover of the Tribune Co in December, may never have existed.

We’ll start with Hunter. The road to the office of publisher has traditionally run through editorial. I for one thought that it was a good idea that operations people who were committed to editorial excellence be given a shot at the title. A pick that I believe has served well in that capacity is Tim Ryan, the publisher of The Baltimore Sun.

Before posting to Baltimore, Ryan spent time there and in Chicago heading circulation. Even though he was a guy who managed the agents and distributors who actually deliver most newspapers for the Chicago Tribune, Ryan also recognized the social mission of the newspaper. When discussions about ideas on growing the newspaper were leading off mission, Ryan would remind people of the important social duty of the newspaper.

During Ryan’s time at the helm in Chicago, the work to double Red Eye distribution was conducted and the initial discussions that led to the Chicago Sun-Times turning over its distribution to the Chicago Tribune were held. It was the inability of the Sun-Times to recognize in a timely manner how deep its troubles were that delayed the conclusion of those negotiations into the term of Hunter.

Hunter, during those months, led an effort to add greater capabilities to the press, essentially allowing greater flexibility for advertisers to target ads at readers. At the same time, he cut costs by decreasing press maintenance. The result was a cluster fuck of increased web breaks and increased maintenance costs at the conclusion of the project.

If you received home delivery of the newspaper you would have noticed: late deliveries of the paper were a growing problem in late 2006.

Prior to trying to cut costs and increase press utility, Hunter managed a major restructuring of the circulation department. That work had to be undone and worked through. Like the press project, a good project in itself, it was too much for the circulation department to handle.

Reading Hunter’s comments about taking on the job I failed to read any interest in the newspaper as an institution of public good. There was no apparent feel for the newspaper as a product that influences, persuades and informs. Apparently it only entertains.

Phil Rosenthal mentions that Hunter is a brother-in-law of some sports figure. Here’s another tidbit; Hunter is actively involved in youth sports as a coach and a mentor.

Guess what? It means nothing. If Rosenthal can’t figure out that it is meaningless, I’ll tell you. It is meaningless that Hunter is a nice guy and connected. Hunter doesn’t see the paper as anything but a commodity.

Get ready Chicago. The redesign? It’s just the start of the cluster fuck.

Michael Miner described Hunter in his blog as a marketer. That comes, I suppose, from not understanding what happens in operations. Hunter is not a marketer. He is a functionary who was put in charge of operations. When that didn’t work out quite right, they gave him a promotion and put him in charge of circulation too.

I’ll finish by noting that Randy Michaels has done it again. I was willing to cut the man slack when he named Lee Abrams to man TribCo innovation. Perhaps, I thought, he is loyal to an old friend and refuses to see the problem he created. But this appointment demonstrates a lack of understanding of what meritocracy means.

Michaels defended Hunter saying Hunter had institutional memory.

That “institutional memory” is the same stuff that is walking out the door, voluntarily and involuntarily, in masses from every department. It is the same “institutional memory” that Sam Zell slammed in his first month. Do you remember? Zell told a great story about HR demanding Michaels attend a class on the history of the Tribune Co.

Ha Ha! Let’s laugh now. First, it would have put Michaels in touch with new hires. People whom, according to Tribune internal surveys, are the most enthusiastic employees. And second, perhaps he would understand that newspapers are products that people align with because of the perception of their editorial mission.

In radio, as we know, when a song comes on that we do not like, or a host comes on who irritates us, we hit the button and move to another channel. But that’s a post I’ll take up in a moment.

I’ll be quick with the lower level appointments of Tran Ha and Jane Hirt. No perceived reporting experience. The path to be an editor should not just be through J-School, an institution that by now you should know I hold in disdain, but through working as a journalist.

God help me, I’m still old fashioned about this. Hirt and Ha are receiving their appointments due to their work in Red Eye. Red Eye, for all its charms, is not about journalism but about advertising. The National Enquirer does more and better journalism than anything produced by Red Eye, except the Transit column.

Tagged: Chicago Tribune, Randy Michaels, The Loop