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Topic: Memos Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 9/26/2007 4:21:24 PM
Title: Strib editorial page editor Albright departs
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
Memo to Minneapolis Star Tribune staffers

Editorial Page changes
by Chris Harte, Publisher and Chairman

September 26, 2007 - Susan Albright, our editorial page editor, will be leaving the Star Tribune, effective Oct. 12. Scott Gillespie, our managing editor, will move over to be the editorial page editor on an interim basis.

Susan has ably guided the Star Tribune editorial pages with the highest integrity since 1993, and I have the utmost respect for her as a journalist and an editorialist. She is a nationally recognized leader among editorial writers and a former president of the National Conference of Editorial Writers (NCEW).

Under her leadership, the Star Tribune editorial staff has won numerous editorial, op-ed and cartooning awards. In 2001 her staff conceived and launched the Sunday Op Ex section, now called "Opinion Exchange."

With all of these fine credentials to Susan's credit, it is all the more difficult to say that she and I have a difference of opinion that results in her leaving. As I moved into the chairman's role in March and then into the publisher's role, it was clear as Susan and I talked that we had different views of the future.

We have a professional disagreement about the role of the editorial pages and how they should be edited. The main shift I want to see is toward even more locally focused editorial pages.

I believe the role of a metro newspaper is changing radically and rapidly in a world of instant global access to information. I see the need for our editorial pages, like the rest of the newspaper, to concentrate more heavily than ever on local, state and regional issues. This is where we can stake a claim like no other media can.

Our readers can go to many places to get informed opinion on the Iraq war or global warming. But there are very few places they can go for expert opinion on local issues. And that is where I want us to dwell, with the active participation of our readers.

As you know, we will soon be locally zoning the metro news pages, and my mandate to Scott is to move our editorial pages in a direction that complements this local strategy.

Regarding her departure, Susan said: "It has been an honor and a privilege for me to serve as the Star Tribune's editorial page editor for nearly 15 years. I am proud of what the opinion page staff has accomplished in those years. On leaving, I can only express my profound gratitude to all my colleagues, and wish them all the best."

I hope you will please take the time to congratulate Susan on a job very well done. She is a true professional who stands up for her beliefs, articulates them eloquently and genuinely respects the views of others. I wish her all the best.

......

Letter to Strib staff from editor Nancy Barnes

Dear staff,
As you have heard from Chris today, Scott Gillespie will be filling in as editorial page editor for the next several months. Chris asked Scott to take on this role because both the paper and the community need a respected, talented editor during this transition period. Scott clearly fits the bill in so many ways. While we in the newsroom are focused on reporting the news, we all know that the success of the editorial pages is critical to the success of the paper as a whole. This will be a challenge for the newsroom, since Scott is integral to the everyday operations. Here's how we will work in the meantime: Scott will continue to work with me in making major personnel and organizational decisions regarding the newsroom. However, out of respect for the line between news and editorial, he will not be involved in any news coverage decisions once he moves over to editorial. The management team and I will divide up the daily management responsibilities over the next few months. I know that both Scott and I can count on the support of everyone in the newsroom in making this work. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Nancy

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