Realigning The News Operation p. 34

By: MARK FITZGERALD IN A REALIGNMENT of the Louisville, Ky., Courier-Journal's news and editorial pages, longtime editor and vice president David Hawpe is ceding control of the newspaper's news operations to newcomer Mark Silverman, who most recently directed Gannett Co.'s News 2000 readership project.
Hawpe, a 26-year veteran of the Gannett-owned daily, will retain the title of editor and vice president and will manage the editorial pages. He also will write a column that is expected to eventually run twice-weekly.
Silverman, 46, was named executive editor and vice president of news. An account in the Courier-Journal described him as the paper's "top news official."
Both Silverman and Hawpe, 53, will report to Courier-Journal president and publisher Edward E. Manassah.
Manassah said the idea of splitting responsibility for news and the editorial pages was Hawpe's.
"For about the last 18 months, David and I have talked about what he and I wanted for the paper. David had mentioned he wanted to be able to spend more time writing, to do a column, which he wanted to do, and spend a lot more time focused on the editorial department," Manassah said.
"He came up with a with a way that gives him an opportunity to write more . . . . He explained how we could separate the job," the publisher added in a telephone interview.
Hawpe was named editor in 1979. Eight years later, he was given responsibility for managing the editorial pages.
Manassah said the paper wanted to return "to the traditional separation of news and editorial which has characterized the Courier-Journal for most of its history."
However, Manassah said the realignment did not reflect any fear that news and opinion had become blurred at the Courier-Journal ? or any desire to rein in its activist editor.
"No, absolutely not," he said. "We have a very strong editorial page, and my expectation is that that will become even stronger. David is obviously a high-profile editor, just a passionate journalist."
Hawpe is known inside the newspaper business and among Kentucky newspaper readers for his strong and occasionally controversial opinions.
In 1994, for example, he championed an ethics code that proved too rigorous to be accepted by the Associated Press Managing Editors and his newspaper was virtually alone among Kentucky papers in supporting a bill that would have created a news council subsidized by the commonwealth's government.
In a Courier-Journal story about the newspaper realignment, Hawpe said his goal when he joined the paper in 1969 had been to run its editorial pages. He said he would "turn up the intensity" and "sharpen the focus" of the opinion pages.
On the news side, publisher Manassah said, new executive editor Silverman would "improve day-to-day coverage."
"My first choice was to bring in someone like Mark," Manassah said.
Silverman told the Courier-Journal he wanted to "deepen and broaden" coverage of the city's growing suburbs, while also reaching out to time-starved groups such as working women and people aged 30 to 50.
"I want to give those folks a reason to stay with the newspaper," Silverman said.
Silverman's resume includes positions as senior managing editor at the Providence Journal and Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Westchester County, N.Y., and editor of the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star.
?(Longtime Louisville Courier-Journal editor and vice president David Hawpe (above) is ceding control of the newspaper's news operations to newcomer Mark Silverman, who most recently directed Gannett Co.'s News 2000 readership project. Hawpe will retain the title of editor and vice president and will manage the editorial pages. He also will write a column.) [Photo & Caption]