'LA Times' Rolls Out Massive Obit on Chandler

By: Joe Strupp The 2,200-word obituary of former Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler that appeared on the paper's Web site this morning seemed a bit short for the man considered most responsible for the paper's success. A far lengthier tribute to the Times icon, however, appeared later on the paper's Web site, and in print for Tuesday's paper.

In fact, obit writer Mitchell Landsberg, who penned the initial report that posted less than two hours after Chandler's early morning death, said the final print version, which runs several pages, is one of the longest ever in the paper's 125-year history.

"He is arguably the most important person in the history of this paper," says Landsberg. The obituaries of Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon "were about as long."

The Web obit was accompanied by photos and video at the top of the Times site. Later in the day it carried a correction, revealing that the name of Chandler's first wife "was incorrectly given as Marilyn Brandt. It is Marilyn Brant."

The death notice quotes Washington Post CEO Donald Graham: "Otis was a giant in every way. The paper you are reading is his monument. By his strength and by his judgment of good journalists, he was of unique importance in the history of the Los Angeles Times."

Obituary Editor Jon Thurber also estimated Chandler's final obit will rival those among the paper's longest. "He is a huge figure," Thurber added. "It will be one of the longer ones."

When asked why the longer version was not put up immediately, Thurber said it was still being finalized.

The final version has an unusual double byline because it was originally written by the late David Shaw, the Times' former media writer, then updated last fall by Landsberg.

Shaw, who passed away last summer of brain cancer, had written Chandler's obit several years ago, Thurber said. After Shaw died, Landsberg sought to update the story in September, shortly after Chandler was diagnosed with the degenerative Lewy body disease that eventually took his life.

"We needed to revise the obit because it was getting old and they needed someone to update it," Landsberg said about his involvement. "The longer one is a revision of David's."

In recent days, however, Times staffers were informed that Chandler's condition was worsening, Landsberg said. Tom Johnson, the former Times publisher and ex-CNN president, had been in touch with the paper as a Chandler family spokesman, Landsberg said. He said the paper arranged to have Johnson inform the paper as soon as possible following Chandler's passing, and for a shorter obit penned solely by Landsberg to be used on the Web if needed.

Chandler died at 4 a.m. PDT today. Within an hour, Johnson called Landsberg at home and gave him the news. "I was sound asleep," Landsberg recalls. "I called Jon Thurber, who called one of the Web site editors who put it up [online] from home."

Landsberg said he did about five minutes of updating this morning from his home computer to finalize the short version, which posted at 5:40 a.m. PDT. He also said Johnson alerted the Associated Press and the short version went out over the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post news service.

"Our system is pretty fluid," Landsberg said about the ability to get the story up so quickly. Thurber added that it was important for the Times to report Chandler's passing first. "It is our story," he said.