Ward Bushee (left) spoke to San Francisco's KQED public radio this morning about The San Francisco Chronicle, which he joined as editor this year after leaving The Arizona Republic. (He told KQED an amazing story about a near-death experience that I'd never heard.) The interview is available on the station's website, or you can listen to it below:Thursday, December 04, 2008
Former top editor Bushee on future of newspapers
Ward Bushee (left) spoke to San Francisco's KQED public radio this morning about The San Francisco Chronicle, which he joined as editor this year after leaving The Arizona Republic. (He told KQED an amazing story about a near-death experience that I'd never heard.) The interview is available on the station's website, or you can listen to it below:
11 comments:
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I worked with Ward in Westchester years ago. He was the sports editor. Nice guy.
ReplyDeleteHis career soared, however, after the Blue Angels crash that he was in.(pun intended)
Gannett guilt, and averting a possible huge lawsuit, was why, I suppose.
Wasn't he in charge during the disastrous Cincy "Banana-Gate" mess that cost Gannett millions to settle lawsuit?
ReplyDelete3:29 pm: No. The Cincy editor at the time was Larry Beaupre. My most recent post about him is here: http://tinyurl.com/5els3h
ReplyDeleteWard was sent to save the day in Cincy after the banana episode. He's the best editor I ever worked for, far and away.
ReplyDeleteThat's right! I stand (sit) corrected.
ReplyDeleteWhat a mess that was. Did Ward Bushee come after him?
Yes he did...then a larger promotion to Phoenix with Tom Callinan coming to Cincy...where Tom HAD been.
ReplyDeleteWhat's that say?
Bushee is a great clean-up act. I saw him in action in Cincy, where the paper's reputation really hit the skids. He's approachable, direct, and easy to deal with and if anyone can make San Francisco a good newspaper once again, he's the guy. Corporate made a big mistake not fighting to keep him.
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of working with Ward at the Enquirer. He is a wonderful gentleman and as smart as they come. Hats off to you Ward for leaving Gannett...
ReplyDeleteI worked with him in Phoenix. I think some power-players there decided he did not fit the model of ruthless robot. too bad. Nice guy.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of the brass in SF are from Gannett. Kelly Harville was marketing director in Brevard when Frank was still there, I think. The AD is also a Gannett guy.
ReplyDeleteLarry Beaupre is a terrific editor and among the smartest, most ethical and attentive editors I ever worked for. The Enquirer went downhill fast after he left - and people should remember that NOTHING in the Chiquita series was ever questioned. It was the manner in which some of the info was obtained that was at issue - not the content.
ReplyDeleteWard was sent to the wounded and dysfunctional Cincinnati newsroom by corporate when they could not find anyone else to take the job. He was personable, maybe affable is a better word, polite and supportive to his managers but lackluster as an editor. Nothing notable happened during his tenure, which is probably exactly what corporate wanted after the Chiquita turmoil.
Ward's move back west was inevitable. But Callinan spent the first year or so in Cincinnati licking his wounds after being "demoted." He blabbed on and on about how he was wronged to anyone who would listen. Still, I give him credit for managing to survive despite being distant, insensitive, prone to terrible hiring decisions and his penchant for applying for every academic journalism opening that comes along.
Above all, he's an apologist, which might speak more to his survival than his knack for corporate politics and his Gannett good ole boy network connections.
In the recent round of layoffs, Callinan protected senior editors who did next to nothing by laying off those at the next level who did do work - then, moving the senior editors into their jobs. One senior editor's duties were completely eliminated yet she was not laid off - instead, she was moved into the job of someone else who was laid off. It's sad.
The paper had gone from bad to worse under Callinan. But the community doesn't seem to care - or maybe it's just given up.