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When Daily News editor Carolina Garcia was named editor last month over the Daily Breeze and Press-Telegram as well, it seemed pretty clear more moves were coming. Now they have come. Today's memo from Garcia stresses that the three papers will retain their own identities, but there will be key senior editors who oversee all three papers. In most cases, it's someone at the Daily News who gets elevated to manage the other papers' staffs too. For instance, the DN's Mariel Garza becomes the senior editor over the opinion pages that all three papers will run. Also: Harrison Sheppard becomes city editor of the Daily News and Kerry Cavanaugh becomes assistant city editor.
* Also: Barbara Jones, last I knew a Daily News special projects editor, becomes the DN education reporter, replacing the departed Connie Llanos.
Memos inside.
We are announcing a new editorial management structure for the metro newspapers, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, the Daily Breeze and the Daily News. This new leadership team will be focused on retaining clearly identifiable local brands while providing the strongest news and information gathering capabilities across multiple platforms.
Here’s the new lineup:
Metro Leadership
Toni Sciacqua will lead our metro digital team as Managing Editor-Digital. Toni will be reaching out to all of you as we work to improve and grow our online operation.
Mariel Garza, editorial page editor at the Daily News, will become Senior Editor-Op/Ed. She will guide the editorial and opinion pages for the metro group and will work to boost our editorial presence in our respective communities and the region.
Gene Warnick, sports editor at the Daily News, will become Senior Editor-Sports. He will continue to strengthen the working relationships and journalism that already exists among the three sports sections.
Leo Smith, features editor at the Daily Breeze, will become Senior Editor-Features, and will continue building on the strengths of our combined feature sections and staff.
Stephanie Woo, editorial page editor at the Daily Breeze, will become Senior Editor-Production and will also oversee editorial special sections for the three newspapers.
Local News Leadership
The local news operations at each of the three respective newspapers will continue their emphasis on local and breaking news.
Paul Eakins is promoted to City Editor at the Press-Telegram.
We will name an Assistant City Editor for the Press-Telegram following what we hope is an internal search.
Harrison Sheppard is promoted to City Editor at the Daily News.
Kerry Cavanaugh is promoted to Assistant City Editor at the Daily News replacing Sheppar[sic], who has served as the acting City Editor.
Frank Suraci continues in his current role as City Editor at the Daily Breeze.
Josh Grossberg also continues in his role as Assistant City Editor for the Daily Breeze.
Photography Leadership
The photo departments will continue to operate with an emphasis on local and breaking news photography.
Dean Musgrove will continue in his role as Photo Editor at the Daily News.
Chuck Bennett will continue in his role as Photo Editor for the Daily Breeze and Press-Telegram.
Administration
Theresa Saplad-Frabotta, office manager at the Daily News, will assume the position of Office Manager, overseeing the office, payroll and general administrative needs for the metro group.
These assignments will be effective Monday, Nov. 7.
Please join me in congratulating your colleagues in their new assignments.
Carolina Garcia
Executive Editor
Metro Group
Added memo:
Please welcome Barbara Jones to the reporting ranks, effective Monday. Barbara will bring her formidable reporting and writing skills to one of our most important beats, education/LAUSD. I’m looking forward to her stories and expect she’ll do a terrific job.
Thanks,
Carolina Garcia
Executive Editor