Janis Heaphy announces retirement from Sacramento Bee

          

Janis Heaphy, president and publisher of the Sacramento Bee for the past 10 years, is retiring from the Bee. She will be replaced by Cheryl Dell, president and publisher of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington. Read the full story here.

Previous related:

• New executive editor named for the Sacramento Bee
• Sacramento Bee Executive Editor "resigns abrupty"  
• Janis Heaphy gets booed by parents at college graduation for condescending lecture

Melanie Sill comes to the Bee: McClatchy rearranging the deck chairs

Shouldn't McClatchy executives pick somebody outside McClatchy's culture of failure? Melanie Sill comes from a McClatchy newspaper in Raleigh. Seems like a dumb move for a company that needs to make big changes.

New executive editor named for the Sacramento Bee

Melanie Sill has been named executive editor of the Sacramento Bee. David Barton has the info. Sill was formerly the executive editor of the News and Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. The News and Observer is also a McClatchy newspaper.

The Bee's former executive editor, Rick Rodriguez, resigned October 18 in a dispute with the Bee's publisher, Janis Heaphy. John Drescher is replacing Sill in Raleigh.

Some of Melanie Sill's columns are here.

Turmoil at the Sacramento Bee?

David Barton, a former columnist and feature writer at the Sacramento Bee, says his contacts from inside the Bee are telling him things are getting really bad. The departure of Rick Rodriguez several weeks ago has sent morale into a tailspin.  Barton's description:

From what I hear, people over there are freaked-out, and I feel for them. If they aren't freaked out, it's because they've got retirement safely in their sights. They were counting the months and years till retirement when I was there.

Sacramento Bee Executive Editor "resigns abrupty"

Sacramento Bee Executive Editor Rick Rodriguez has resigned in a dispute with Bee President Janis Heaphy. In a statement Thursday, Heaphy said she and Rodriguez have agreed to not talk publicly about the dispute but she added the decision "wasn't financial." She pointed out she and Rodriguez differed over the long-term vision of the newspaper.

In an article in the 10/19/07 print version of The Bee, Janis Heaphy told a reporter she has selected a replacement for Rodriguez. She said the replacement will be announced later. Amazingly, Heaphy said the replacement will come from within the ranks of the McClatchy Company. Which makes me wonder about Heaphy's judgement - McClatchy Company shares have tanked over the past 5 years. You'd think Heaphy would want somebody with a successful track record.
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