Reaction Varies at 32 Papers As KR/McClatchy Transition Arrives

By: E&P Staff As the historic sale of Knight Ridder to the McClatchy Co. nears completion today, the 32 daily newspapers in the deal -- a dozen of them soon to be passed to third parties -- marked the occasion in a wide variety of ways, from editors' notes to readers to free ice cream for employees.

Here is a national wrap-up, mainly based on reports in the home papers. We will add to this compilation, from the top, as the day goes on.

--An editorial in today's Miami Herald optimistically stated that the newspaper has entered "a new era." It said: "The sale of this newspaper is an occasion to reaffirm our commitment to those principles and to welcome a corporate parent with its own history of success and devotion to those same ideas....The confidence [McClatchy CEO Gary Pruitt] has expressed in the future of South Florida and his support for the independence of the company's newspapers are reassuring signs that The Miami Herald has found safe harbor."

--Even as it gains many more national resources in the deal, The Star Tribune in Minneapolis will keep its focus on Minnesota, said Editor Anders Gyllenhaal. "In most ways, the deal won't change the paper. Our focus remains on local news," he said in a story in the paper.

Having Dean Singleton of MediaNews taking over the neighboring St. Paul Pioneer Press is "certainly something to pay attention to," Gyllenhaal added. "But it's always been a competitive situation with the Pioneer Press."

The paper explained today that "the merger means more access to national and international news from the more than two dozen national and international reporters based in Washington who worked for Knight Ridder. The Knight Ridder bureau is considered one of the best news operations in the country." McClatchy also will gain access to what has been known as the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.

--At the Monterey (Ca.) Herald, today at 4 p.m., the entire staff will attend an event that Executive Editor Carolina Garcia calls, "A passing of the guard." It will include the viewing of the video commemorating Knight Ridder's history -- and the serving of cake.

--A similar schedule was set at the Idaho Statesman. The newsroom will be serving lemonade and cookies today at 3 p.m. when the transaction takes place. The Statesman ran a 1/4 page ad today with a message from Tony Ridder, as did other KR newspapers (the size of the ad varied).

--At the Kansas City Star, employees are got a free lunch in the front yard. In the paper today, Mac Tully, the publisher of the Star, said: "I'm not expecting any changes tomorrow or even in the near-term future." In the long run, "according to McClatchy, we're going to have even more autonomy to run the paper than we've had in the past. And we're all looking forward to that."

--In an editorial for the Aberdeen (S.D.) American News, Publisher Jerome Ferson quoted Ecclesiastes ("For everything there is a season, And a time for every matter under heaven"), and said: "The past several months have been a very tumultuous time for American News employees. Thankfully, the uncertainty that shrouded us so heavily has now dissipated and the long-standing community institution we represent and that you trust and rely upon remains standing, healthy and with dignity intact."

--In Columbia, S.C., ?For now, there are a lot of 'what ifs,' " said Mark Lett, executive editor of The State. Lett told one of his reporters, Ben Werner, that he?s happy to be dealing with McClatchy. One of the biggest changes: Readers of The State ? and other former Knight Ridder papers ? will no longer see a corporate logo at the bottom of the front page.

?It is part of the McClatchy philosophy that we are the local paper, regardless of who owns us,? Mike Albo, director of circulation and marketing at the State, told Werner. Albo estimated it will take a month for all vestiges of Knight Ridder to leave The State. "We have 2,000 (newspaper) racks throughout the state, and every rack has a logo,? he said.

--In today's Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune, Marti Buscaglia--the president and publisher--said the following: "After 70 years in the Ridder family, we thought our readers might want to save [today's News Tribune] as a keepsake edition. So we are delivering today's newspaper as a bonus edition to all Sunday-only and weekend subscribers." The News Tribune also featured a special section today devoted to the Knight Ridder deal.

--At The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., which dates back to 1826, "Readers really won't see much of an impact," Publisher Pamela "P.J." Browning said. "We'll continue to have local decision making, and we'll work to produce the best newspaper possible."

The Middle Georgia area should not see a change in the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Beverly Blake, program director for Georgia, has said. "We will remain committed to our 26 Knight communities," Blake said.

--Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., the Knight Ridder unit that owns The Inquirer and Daily News, gave out ice cream to employees. The Inquirer?s Joseph DiStefano noted in his coverage that the bankers from the Royal Bank in Scotland ? who are backing Philadelphia Media Holdings' takeover ? are still trying to sell $105 million in debt before the transaction closes (which could happen as early as Thursday).

--The Times-Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) held a free beef-and-beer party in the newspaper's parking lot.

--The Akron Beacon Journal will hold a commemorative event today for employees. The Knight Ridder video sent to all papers will be shown, along with a video produced by Beacon Journal employees. Deputy metro editor Doug Oplinger said the video focuses on the newspaper's ongoing record.

"After John S. Knight died, this newspaper went on to win two more Pulitzers,'' he said. "Those may have been great old days, but we've gone on to better things, and there's no reason why we shouldn't continue to do that.''

--Blogging at his paper's Web site, Bob Heisse, editor of the Centre Daily Times in central Pennsylvania, wrote: "Let me give a sincere thanks to Knight Ridder for standing for the best in journalism and for giving so many of us an opportunity. In my case, I appreciate the confidence Knight Ridder had in me to join the company and work right here, in a place I love. ...We are looking forward to working with McClatchy and we'll soon tell you about some new features. But this morning, I just want to say thanks to Knight Ridder."

--Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald: Mike Jacobs, the Herald's publisher and editor, said the move to Forum Communications closes an era in the paper's history. "Knight Ridder was very good to Grand Forks," Jacobs said. "It gave Grand Forks a great newspaper." He added that Knight Ridder did a lot of good for the community after the great flood of 1997.

Ownership by a large corporation had its pros and cons, according to Jacobs. While it "made things possible" and allowed Grand Forks to "play on a national stage," it also made the paper "subject to market forces," he said.

--At the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press, Par Ridder, publisher of the paper, told employees on Monday that he expects McClatchy will take a ?hands-off? approach during its short period of ownership. McClatchy sold the Pioneer Press to MediaNews Group. The deal was expected to go through after the Knight Ridder acquisition, but the Department of Justice is still looking into the McClatchy/MediaNews Group transaction, holding up the process.

The Pioneer Press also addressed readers in an opinion piece said that for the most part, the transition will be ?invisible to readers.?

--The Bellingham (Wash.) Herald reported that readers would not see any changes as the paper changes hands. Howard Weaver, McClatchy?s vp of news, told the paper that all department heads will remain. Publisher Glen Nardi said the paper intends to expand its coverage.

--Ann Caulkins, publisher of The Charlotte Observer, said that advertisers and readers should not see much of a change under new ownership. She also said she is going to meet with other papers in South and North Carolina to discuss how they can share content and leverage advertising. She also confirmed that the paper?s Raleigh, N.C. (McClatchy owns the News and Observer) and Columbia, S.C., bureaus will both remain open.

In a note to readers, Caulkins wrote that McClatchy?s ownership means ?deeper? news and that the company lets its papers operate with autonomy. ?It believes local staffs know far more about local people and places and needs and opportunities than corporate executives in Sacramento, Calif.,? she wrote. Caulkins was recently appointed publisher of the Observer. She replaced Peter Ridder, the brother of Tony Ridder.

--San Jose Mercury News: Some employees attended the final annual meeting near their office on Monday and joined in applause for an emotional CEO Tony Ridder at the end.