John Carroll Departs. He Could Have Been Better
Written from Seward, Alaska --
So John Carroll is retiring Aug. 15, perhaps earlier than he had intended to just a few months ago. My own honest view is that he could have been a better editor, could have resisted the mediocre TRibune managers and costcutters more. He did resist, but too quietly. No loyalty is owed the squalid Tribune owners.
My worst feeling about Carroll is that he was very cool to the Jewish community, an important aspect of Los Angeles life. Not since Otis Chandler became publisher in 1961, or even before, with his mother, the late Dorothy Chandler, has this been the case. Jewish community leaders will be glad to see Carroll go.
In some respects, Carroll is to be complimented. The Times did win many Pulitzers under his aegis, and on an everyday basis, he made many sound decisions. But he would not call a terrorist a terrorist, and he hired Michael Kinsley, a part timer, and allowed him to continue to live in Seattle half the time. This was a serious mistake.
I notice in the announcement that Dean Baquet, the new editor, will have Kinsley reporting to the publisher, Jeffrey Johnson, rather than to him. This is a serious mistake, since control of the editorial page is the duty of any responsible editor. Johnson has not demonstrated any clear loyalty to Los Angeles, rather than to his greasy superiors in Chicago.
Still, we can all wish Baquet well. He's going to need great abilities to keep living with the Tribune Co.
It is a good thing that Baquet, a black man, has reached such a high post, a first for great American papers. So congratulations are due to him. He has many challenges ahead.
So John Carroll is retiring Aug. 15, perhaps earlier than he had intended to just a few months ago. My own honest view is that he could have been a better editor, could have resisted the mediocre TRibune managers and costcutters more. He did resist, but too quietly. No loyalty is owed the squalid Tribune owners.
My worst feeling about Carroll is that he was very cool to the Jewish community, an important aspect of Los Angeles life. Not since Otis Chandler became publisher in 1961, or even before, with his mother, the late Dorothy Chandler, has this been the case. Jewish community leaders will be glad to see Carroll go.
In some respects, Carroll is to be complimented. The Times did win many Pulitzers under his aegis, and on an everyday basis, he made many sound decisions. But he would not call a terrorist a terrorist, and he hired Michael Kinsley, a part timer, and allowed him to continue to live in Seattle half the time. This was a serious mistake.
I notice in the announcement that Dean Baquet, the new editor, will have Kinsley reporting to the publisher, Jeffrey Johnson, rather than to him. This is a serious mistake, since control of the editorial page is the duty of any responsible editor. Johnson has not demonstrated any clear loyalty to Los Angeles, rather than to his greasy superiors in Chicago.
Still, we can all wish Baquet well. He's going to need great abilities to keep living with the Tribune Co.
It is a good thing that Baquet, a black man, has reached such a high post, a first for great American papers. So congratulations are due to him. He has many challenges ahead.
posted by Ken Reich at 8:15 PM
2 Comments:
Ken:
Here is a post that I posted to Mayor Sam's comments on Carroll's departure, which I feel is none to soon. As you can see, it agrees with almost everything you said:
"It is about fucking time that bigoted Carroll left LA and went to work for Al Jazeera.
It is Carroll's policy of "moral equivalency" that has cost the Times thousands of subscribers who are tired of suicide/homicide murderers being called "freedom fighters" and "insurgents".
The are terrorists, they are killers of innocent women, children and puppy dogs, and they are murderers. They are not freedom fighters.
Carroll is also responsible for hiring the insipid and absentee Michael Kinsley, the limp dick Editor of the Editorial Pages, who lives more in Seattle than he does in L.A.
Does anyone wonder why the LA Times is a fish wrapper instead of a great city newspaper?
It also never supports local sports teams, especially USC, even when they are back to back National Champions. Wanna guess where Sports Editor Bill Dwyre went to school?
If you guessed South Bend, Indiana, you are right.
The Daily News is the only semi-readable newspaper in Los Angeles, and it ain't too good.
July 20, 2005 3:45 PM"
John Carroll’s anti-Fox news, anti-blogger, pseudo-journalist screed clearly showed it was past time for him to be retired.
It’s rather poignant that a guy reaches the summit of his profession and doesn’t recognize the fundamental restructuring taking place from below.
Lastly, when the LA Times ceases being the Democratic Party newsletter, I may come back as a subscriber.
Post a Comment
<< Home