Chandler Elated by 'L.A. Times' Pulitzer Triumph

By: Jennifer Saba Former Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler was quite vocal a few years ago about his displeasure with the newspaper's direction.

Today, Chandler is nothing but elated about the state of the Times and its five 2004 Pulitzer wins. "I'm very proud and thrilled to see that the Pulitzer community honored the Times for unprecedented work in normal times," Chandler said, in reference to The New York Times' record-breaking seven wins in 2002, partly based on that paper's extraordinary 9/11 coverage. Chandler said The New York Times' haul that year was well deserved but that the Los Angeles Times swept the awards without one national tragedy to serve as a spark.

"The Pulitzer committee process is dominated by eastern editors and publishers and has been for years," Chandler added. "I think this is a recognition by the jurors and the final committee that the L.A. Times, once again, is a great paper."

Chandler has long been credited with turning around the paper the last time it needed a major boost, after he succeeded his father Norman Chandler as publisher in 1960, serving until 1980.

Back in late-1999 and early 2000, Chandler, 75, strongly criticized Times Mirror CEO Mark Willes and the publisher of the Times, Kathryn Downing, in the wake of the Staples Center scandal. "I thought it was the lowest chapter in the history of the Times. I knew the morale was way down because I heard from all kinds of people," he said. "Now we have come full circle from that."

Times Mirror sold the L.A. Times in March 2000 to the Tribune Co. and with it, there was concern that Tribune would strip the paper of its resources by, among other things, consolidating foreign and national bureaus. According to Chandler, the executives at the Tribune said they had no intention of interfering with the Times. "[The win proves] the validity of the sale to the Tribune Company and that it has indeed the same feeling of strong journalism," Chandler said. "I also think it shows to the rest of the world that the Times is once again this great paper out in the far west."

Despite new luster, Chandler plays down any speculation that the L.A. Times ever had serious plans to go national like The New York Times. "We never tried to be a national daily newspaper," he said. "It's read by key people across the country, but to chase a national circulation, no I don't see that in the strategy. It's very expensive."