Tribune Editorial Page Head Becomes The Paper's Editor-In-Chief
By Sam Stecklow in News on Feb 17, 2016 9:54AM
Bruce Dold, the Tribune's editorial page editor, is replacing Gerry Kerns as editor-in-chief, Crain's reported today. The change will go into effect immediately, even though Dold's editorial page is a hellscape and this is a terrible idea.
The Trib told its own reporter that this recent development has nothing at all to do with the paper's new primary shareholder, Michael Ferro, also a key stakeholder at the Sun-Times.
The succession plan was under consideration for more than a year, and had nothing to do with Ferro, Tribune spokesman Matt Hutchison told the Tribune.
In response to that line, Craig Newman, former managing editor of the Sun-Times under Ferro, tweeted the following:
So Ferro takes over and Kern decides to abruptly and immediately retire. Interesting timing.
— Craig Newman (@craignewman) February 17, 2016
Chicago Tribune names new editor, Gerould Kern to retire https://t.co/n1lUROKnyg no "spending time w family"? pic.twitter.com/h1CbCWpFOi
— Craig Newman (@craignewman) February 17, 2016
I mean, who retires "effective immediately?"
— Craig Newman (@craignewman) February 17, 2016
It's interesting to note that this is all business as usual for Ferro. In 2012, just four months after he took over the Sun-Times, he poached Jim Kirk from Crain's to replace Don Hayner as editor-in-chief. Hayner, a Sun-Times lifer, suddenly retired, too.
Dold feels like an especially telling choice of leader for a Ferro-funded publication, though, as he has published some truly horrendous pieces on the Trib's editorial page. Some include:
* Likely the highest-read hateread to come out of Trib Tower in ages: Kristen McQueary's (StatehouseChick!) diatribe that the only thing that can save Chicago from financial ruin is a Hurricane Katrina of our own.
* Three separate endorsements of Rahm Emanuel, a mayor whose rap sheet is too long to begin to detail here.
* Two (!!!!!) endorsements for George W. Bush. Two of them. One, two. For president. (H/t to Chicago's Luke Seemann.)
* Every single stupid fucking John Kass column.
Condolences to the Trib.