Abrasive N&O senior editor Linda Williams to oversee combined Features departments in North Carolina newspapers

Linda Williams, the controversial senior editor at the News & Observer who once called Sarah Palin's then-17 year daughter "America's most famous baby mama" in an internal company memo, has been tapped to oversee a merger of the Features departments in McClatchy's newspapers in Raleigh and Charlotte.

After Williams' controversial memo was published by blogger G.D. Gearino, Williams dashed off a blistering, defensive email to Gearino that raised questions about her temperament. There had already been a bottle throwing incident which occurred after Williams was challenged by staff over assignments.

I understand a number of her colleagues at the N&O had been hoping she would be gone after the next round of layoffs. (Hat tip: email)

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UPDATE: From a comment at Newspapertrails (which now appears to have been deleted):

... She is just terrible. Has no journalism talent, no people skills, no ability to see past her own nose. She is incredibly rude and overall a terrible person. The entire community agrees, as does just about everyone at the N&O....

UPDATE #2: Another reader makes the point she wasn't popular but that doesn't mean she was a bad editor.
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In internal memo, McClatchy news editor calls Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter "America's most famous baby mama"

An internal McClatchy memo written by Linda Williams, senior news editor at the News & Observer newspaper, refers to Sarah Palin's daughter as "America's most famous baby mama" and speaks about the Republican party in contemptuous terms.

Here's the memo:

A few comments on some good work in today’s paper:–A lively front page that gave our readers plenty to talk about.

Has the political right truly turned the corner and will cease to demonize opponents on so-called moral issues, or are we witnessing the boldest, most cynical, most hypocritical political spin in modern history? What is one to make of John McCain’s greeting at the Twin Cities airport yesterday of America’s most famous baby mama with a warm hug, and the apparent attaboy pat on the shoulder for the self-described “f***ing redneck” baby daddy? Are we now celebrating teenagers’ raging hormones?

The claims department feature (see 8a) is a great reader service.

I would like to see more scrutiny of the “facts” in Sarah Palin’s speech last night...

Blogger G.D. Gearino published this memo a week ago and said it had been written by N&O editor John Drescher. After reading the memo I thought it was a joke and decided not to comment on it. But today, Gearino confirmed the memo was written by the N&O senior news editor, Linda Williams. Jaded as I am, I was shocked that a newspaper senior editor would talk like that in public, much less put it in a written memo for reporters.

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Anybody doubt this is more confirmation of left-wing bias in the newsroom?

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What is the News & Observer going to do to put subscribers concerns at ease? Gearino says if the N&O is serious about this, they'd send her home for 2 weeks without pay.

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That's the least they should do.  (Photo via Maynardije.org)