Hearst Newspapers Management Shake-Up in '100 Days of Change' Initiative

By: E&P Staff Hearst Newspapers Thursday announced management changes as part of its so-called "100 Days of Change" initiative, "aimed at challenging traditional thinking across Hearst Newspapers in order to retool the business of newspaper publishing."

Effective immediately, Mark E. Aldam, publisher of the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., becomes senior vice president of Hearst Newspapers, with responsibilities as group publisher for eight daily newspapers and six Connecticut weeklies.

George R. Hearst III, who had been the Times Union's vice president, associate publisher and general manager, was named to succeed Aldam as publisher of the Albany newspaper.

Times Union Circulation Director John J. DeAugustine was named publisher of the Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, succeeding Robert H. Laska, who retired.

Michelle R. McAbee, who currently serves as general manager of the Brooks Community Newspapers in Fairfield County, Conn., will take on the additional duties of publisher of The Advocate of Stamford and Greenwich Time, Hearst said. She succeeds John M. Dunster, who Hearst said this week is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

"'100 Days of Change' is something that all of our newspapers are invested in, " Hearst Newspapers President Steven R. Swartz said in a statement. "We will not stand idle; we have been working for some time on reinventing our businesses while demonstrating to advertisers and readers the exceptional value that newspapers deliver. We believe in the future of newspapers -- in print and online -- and I'm confident that the management team we're announcing today will tackle the challenges we face."