Possley leaves and Abrams ruminates

By Lou Grant | Jul 21, 8:09 PM

Maurice Possley announced his acceptance of the voluntary separation plan, leaving the Chicago Tribune. Possley noted his gratitude to Ann Marie Lipinski and others, "I thank Ann Marie and this newspaper for the time, resources and space to expose systemic wrongs in our justice system and the wrongful convictions of more than two dozen inmates."

"I always had envisioned retiring from the Tribune, but events of the past year, including Ann Marie's resignation, convinced me that now is the time for me seek my fortune elsewhere," he wrote.

Meanwhile, over in the office of the Tribune's legendary genius, Lee Abrams is contemplating why the Tribune Co. is gathering so much attention, "there's a reason our company is getting so much dramatic coverage in the blogosphere and in print. There are some dramatic issues facing Media companies, and we're meeting the issues with dramatic solutions. Thus, the drama. While there's the very, very unfortunate reality side of the equation, I think our taking an approach of action, with the intent of creating growth, is forcing some very inventive thinking and actions around the Tribune Nation….and some spirited conversation from those who don't get what we're doing, or want to get it," Abrams wrote this morning.

"I KNOW there must be hundreds of stars here who may have been repressed under prior regimes. I've actually heard stories that people weren't allowed to talk to me or Randy because it might make their boss look bad…or whatever," Abrams writes. "That is SO incredibly lame. That's sitcom stuff."

(I'm not changing the capitalization here. HE actually WRITES like THIS!)

The Tribune Co. is bleeding talent. Could it be that people do understand, better than Abrams, just what is going to happen to these newspapers if the innovations being presented are allowed to become reality?

And let's be realistic, has the top brass stepped in to protect the small fry from vengeful bosses? People in the trenches do not work for Sam Zell or Randy Michaels. They work for the immediate supervisor, whether that is a vice president, a director or a manager.

The bottom line is that the company is bleeding talent. The bottom line is that your workers, more and more, do not believe you will pull it off

Tagged: Chicago Tribune, Tribune Company, Ann Marie Lipinski, Lee Abrams