UPDATE: Baquet Ousting Hit, To Meet With Geffen?

By: E&P Staff Los Angeles Times Editor Dean Baquet is leaving the paper under pressure from its corporate owner, Tribune Co.

Publisher David Hiller, who made the move, told The New York Times late Tuesday that Baquet's fiery speech at the recent APME conference in New Orleans -- in which he called on editors to push back against cutbacks -- played a role in the final steps: "I did not think it was helpful to Dean and me in working through things. My issue was what it said about whether we saw eye to eye on how we lead this great newspaper forward."

In a tantalizing hint, the Times reports, "Colleagues said Mr. Baquet was considering having lunch next week with David Geffen, one of three Los Angeles billionaires who have expressed interest in acquiring The Times. Tribune Company, under pressure from investors, is considering selling some or all of its assets, which include 10 other papers and two dozen television stations.

"The hope of some in the newsroom is that Mr. Geffen, or someone, buys the paper and rehires Mr. Baquet as editor."

Baquet confirmed his impending departure in an e-mail to staff this afternoon, in which he wrote, "Believe me, I didn't want it to come out this way. Give me some time, and I'll talk to the entire newsroom later this afternoon, at 3 p.m. outside my office. And do me an even bigger favor. Let's do a hell of a job on the election tonight."

As news of Baquet's leaving swept through the Times newsroom, and the industry, reaction was swift and angry. "I have been here 28 and a half years and this is the single worst moment in that time," said staff writer Henry Weinstein. "The fact that the newsroom is not making enough money to please some guy on Wall Street is not the reason to get rid of an editor."

Greg Krikorian, a 15-year Times veteran reporter, offered similar views. "It is very hard to cling to feeling that they have a strategy other than dismantling the paper," he told E&P. "It cannot stay excellent with this kind of instability."

Former Times editor John S. Carroll, who hired Baquet as managing editor six years ago, voiced his disdain to E&P. "It's one more step toward reducing the Los Angeles Times to mediocrity," said Carroll, currently a visiting lecturer at the Joan Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University.

Baquet had stayed on when Tribune forced the resignation of Publisher Jeff Johnson, who, along with Baquet, had publicly resisted the Chicago-based company's order to cut more newsroom jobs.

Johnson was replaced by David Hiller, who had been the publisher of the flagship Chicago Tribune, and who reportedly had persuaded Baquet to stay on as editor.



***

Related E&P stories:

-- Baquet Urges Editors to 'Put Up More of a Fight' On Cuts

-- 'Chicago Tribune' ME O'Shea to Replace Baquet on Monday