Tucson's fate unclear as bidders 'pass' on visit

In a series of ominous signs, two investors have failed to visit the Tucson Citizen, more than two weeks after Gannett identified them as "interested parties," the paper is now reporting. The paper also says Corporate recalled two executives sent to Tucson last week to guard company assets from a restive 65-employee newsroom, while sale talks were said to be underway. What's more, the paper says Corporate's Tara Connell refuses to reveal Gannett's next move.

The company delayed closing the afternoon paper when it said two investors emerged near the March 21 sell-or-fold deadline; no other possible buyers have been identified publicly since. The investors emerged after the Citizen reported the U.S. Justice Department had launched an inquiry into the auction. The paper is published under a joint operating agreement with Lee Enterprises.

Gannett invited the investors to visit the paper -- a step they failed to take, the paper says today. In response to questions from the Citizen, Connell refused to speculate on why the bidders didn't visit. "Again, the invitation is what it is. You are likely to know more and sooner than I what is happening with that, if anything," Connell told the paper in an e-mail. "Of course we will tell employees the status of the paper once it's determined. We aren't commenting on the negotiations."

Knowing Corporate, it's especially unfortunate this is happening on a Friday afternoon -- the time when companies often try to bury bad news, because it gets less media attention.

Choose the Veep!
Multi-tasking like crazy, Connell (left) wears two hats these days: Corporate's vice president for public relations, and Web 2.0 journalist, as newly named vice president of ContentOne. That is the news and web pagination service GCI hopes to build with vestiges of the old Gannett News Service.

Now, in the Citizen story above, which of the following describes Connell's role?

• Publicist
  
• Journalist

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