New Baltimore 'Sun' Publisher Ready For Many Challenges

By: Joe Strupp The incoming publisher of The Sun in Baltimore, who has spent the past six years at the non-union Daily Press of Hampton Roads, Va., may have a rude entry into her first labor negotiations next year when the local Newspaper Guild begins what are likely to be difficult talks.

Rondra "Ronnie" Matthews, who will begin her new job Oct. 1, says she has never run a union paper or led contract talks, but wants to enter into this job with an optimistic approach. She replaces Denise Palmer, who resigned in July to become publisher of The Tampa Tribune. "I would hope fairness and integrity would put a fresh spin on things," she told E&P Friday. "I have no pre-conceived notions."

But three years after the Washington Baltimore Newspaper Guild unit came within a day of a strike before signing what its leaders admitted was a poor contract, some staffers still hold grudges against the parent Tribune Company. In the days before the guild signed the four-year agreement in August 2003, under the cloud of a strike deadline, company officials had begun bringing in non-union replacement workers with plans to keep publishing.

"They spent $2 million to pay strike workers to be here on standby and pay their expenses," recalls guild president Bill Salganik, a Sun reporter. "I would rather see $2 million go into a better product."

Matthews declined to comment on what occurred in 2003, but hinted that she would follow a similar approach to keep the paper publishing in the event of any difficulties, be it a strike or a hurricane. "We have an obligation to publish and this is crucial," Matthews said by phone from her office in Hampton Roads. "We go through with business continuity planning."

But since 2003, financial problems have made things even tighter at the Sun and all Tribune papers. Buyouts have reduced Guild staffing by at least 50 bodies, Salganik said. In addition, the Sun is slowly closing its foreign bureaus and participating in a Tribune-wide consolidation of circulation customer service employees.

"There have been considerable diminishing resources," Salganik said. "The way to grow readership and advertising is to put resources into improving the product so it is something readers want to buy." Matthews agreed but also said that resource reductions should not always be met with immediate opposition.

"Just because you have fewer people doesn't mean you can't fulfill your mission," she said. "There are a lot of things today that technology allows us to do more efficiently. There is a lot of tradition in business and tradition is good. But innovation is key."

Salganik said that he had not met with Matthews, but hoped that the union could forge a positive relationship. Either way, however, he said the publisher at the Sun would likely have only limited decision-making over the paper's finances and staffing, pointing to Tribune company executives as the real decision-makers.

"I don't think it is the publisher's call," he said. "The big strategic decisions are made at Tribune Tower." The Los Angeles Times, another Tribune paper, is embroiled in a battle over cuts, with Editor Dean Baquet refusing to go along with more in the newsroom.

Matthews, 51, said she would focus on growing revenue over further cutbacks, noting that the Sun can take advantage of the Baltimore area's military base realignments and increasing suburban population as among several options. She cited her ability to increase both online and weekly newspaper growth for the Hampton Roads operation, but declined to give specific figures.

"We aggressively sought new business and found smaller-tier advertising," she said about her success in Virginia. "They are doing that in Baltimore, I would hope we could have a continuous focus on that." She also said the growing Web audience needs to be utilized. "We've got to find a way to make the interactive experience as rich as the print experience," said Matthews, who is married with no children. "Make the core newspaper more exciting, inviting and a must-read."

Matthews also pointed to the Daily Press' success in aligning with other news outlets in the Hampton Roads area, including two television stations and a local public broadcasting radio station, which includes Daily Press briefs among its news reports.

She added that she would have a strong involvement with the Sun's editorial board, including input on endorsements. "I listen to and trust the people who work for me and are close to the ground," she said. "But I have my opinion and I will voice my opinion."

Sun Editorial Page Editor Dianne Donovan said neither of the paper's two previous publishers, Palmer or Mike Waller, were involved in endorsement choices. But she said Matthews was "more than welcome to participate to the extent she would like."