Editorial Page Shakeup at 'Sun' Explained

By: The editorial page editor of The (Baltimore) Sun will report to the newspaper's top news editor rather than directly to the publisher, The Sun has announced.

The move comes amid a reduction in editorial page staff at The Sun, Maryland's largest daily newspaper.

Most American newspapers try to maintain explicit separation between the news and editorial pages, in part to avoid the perception that opinion pieces are influencing news coverage.

However, The Chicago Tribune, the flagship publication of The Sun's parent, Tribune Co., is among the papers that have their editorial pages under control of their chief news editors.

Dianne Donovan, who headed The Sun's editorial board for almost six years, told The New York Times that she was let go during the second week of December. Her replacement will be chosen by Tim Franklin, editor of The Sun, rather than by Publisher and Chief Executive Tim Ryan.

Under the new arrangement, "you have to be more vigilant about the integrity of the news pages," Donovan said. But she said either system can work well.

Donovan's deputy, William Englund, said he has asked for and received a buyout and will leave Jan. 25. No one will replace him.

Donovan said that when she began, the editorial board had 17 or 18 members. Eight will remain after Englund's departure.

"It is a streamlining move, at a time when we're challenged on many fronts," said Linda Yurche, a spokeswoman for The Sun.

Real estate developer Sam Zell took control of Tribune Co. last week. The Sun has endured deep budget cuts in recent years.

Under Donovan, The Sun's editorial pages leaned to the left, endorsing Democratic gubernatorial candidates and opposing the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Former Gov. Robert Ehrlich, a Republican, was highly critical of the Donovan-led editorial board tenure for writing that his running mate, Michael Steele, brought "little to the team but the color of his skin." Steele went on to become Maryland's first black lieutenant governor.