By: Joe Strupp Debra Adams Simmons, editor of the Akron Beacon Journal since 2003, will be leaving the newspaper at the end of November as part of a "corporate restructuring and expense reduction," Publisher Ed Moss told E&P late today. Managing Editor Mizell Stewart will run the newspaper in her place.
"He will be considered for the editor's spot as we move forward," Moss said of Stewart. "As part of our restructuring, we reduced one of our management positions in our newsroom." The staff cut is the latest to occur under new owners Black Press, which took control of the former Knight Ridder paper in August. Since then, some 84 jobs have been eliminated.
Simmons could not be reached for immediate comment. A former deputy managing editor at the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Simmons joined the Akron paper in Jan. 2003, rising to editor six months later.
"She was an outstanding editor, it has nothing to do with her approach, this is a way to reduce expenses," Moss, a former Media General executive, said. "In reviewing our corporate restructuring, we have reduced top levels of management throughout the organization, including finance and human resources."
Moss pointed to the decision to keep Simmons on the job through the end of November as a sign that "we have a good working relationship and that this was the most prudent way to approach it through a transition." When asked if Simmons was being fired or had resigned, he described her departure as "a layoff."
"Our plan is to keep the newsroom at this level of mangers," he said about the open editor's position. "Our plan will be to eventually have an editor, but [Stewart] will handle the day-to-day operations for the editors spot as we move forward."
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