 Justin Dearborn |
tronc CEO Justin Dearborn replaced Michael Ferro on March 19 as chairman just ahead of a Fortune story alleging inappropriate sexual behavior. Dearborn, who was appointed CEO of tronc in February 2016, was previously CEO of Merge Healthcare, which was acquired by IBM in October 2015 for $1B. The online Fortune story accused Ferro of abusive conduct toward two women when he led a Chicago investment firm. The executive changes come as tronc prepares to close on the $500 million sale of the Los Angeles Times to local ownership. In February, the company agreed to sell the paper, along with the San Diego Union-Tribune and various titles in the California News Group, to Nant Capital, LLC, a private investment vehicle of California-based entrepreneur Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong.
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Digital First Media has completed its acquisition of the Boston Herald. Last month, Digital First placed the winning bid of almost $12 million for the paper in a bankruptcy auction, beating out GateHouse Media, which owns the Providence Journal in addition to more than 140 other daily papers. But GateHouse still stands to profit from the deal. Following its sale to Digital First, the Herald will move its printing business from the Boston Globe’s facilities to the Journal’s presses. The move deprives the Globe of one of its biggest contract printing customers and follows a series of technical glitches at its $75 million printing plant in Taunton, Mass., which opened last year.
 Rebecca Rosen |
The Atlantic has introduced a Family section at TheAtlantic.com. The Atlantic’s focus on family will include stories in the magazine, video, a weekly newsletter and live events. Led by Atlantic editor Rebecca Rosen, Family is the first expanded editorial initiative to launch following the announcement last month that The Atlantic is embarking on significant newsroom growth in 2018. The company says that additional areas of increased editorial focus include expanded coverage of Hollywood and culture, as well as of technology and Silicon Valley; a new Ideas section; and additions to its politics and policy reporting staff in Washington. Morgan Stanley is the exclusive underwriter of The Atlantic’s new Family initiative.
USA TODAY brings on Jamie Stockwell as VP of news, effective March 30. Stockwell was most recently deputy managing editor of news for the Washington Post... YouTube expands its likeness detection capabilities to a pilot group of government officials, journalists and political candidates... The AP Fund for Journalism adds 50 news organizations to its local news program, bringing the total number of participating newsrooms to 100. 
Versant Media Group, the NBCUniversal cable TV spin-off, today reported its first financial results as 2025 revenues dipped 5.3 percent to $6.7B and standalone EBITDA dropped 9.1 percent to $2.2B.
Trump Media & Technology Group is discussing a spin-off of the Truth Social platform following the expected closing of its $6B merger deal with TAE Technologies... Condé Nast sells off Them, the digital LGBTQ-focused platform it launched in 2017, to Equalpride, publisher of Out, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Health PLUS Wellness and Pride.com... CBS News has parted ways with longevity influencer Peter Attia, one of the 19 contributors that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss brought on as part of her plan to present a wider variety of voices on the platform. 
Symbolic.ai forms a partnership with News Corp to begin using the company’s AI-native publisher platform in the newsrooms of News Corp publications to augment research, writing and publishing... Mediaite launches a newsletter that promises to give readers a summary of—media newsletters... The Fund for American Studies launches the Journalism Excellence Fellowship, a program that will provide promising young journalists the opportunity to work alongside top writers, reporters, and media professionals.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which has roots going back to 1786, is going out of business, the paper’s owners, Block Communications, announced on Jan. 7... GQ editor Will Welch is stepping down to take on a new Paris-based role with the musician Pharrell, who is also men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton... Semafor says it has raised $30 million on a $330 million valuation, following its first profitable year. 
