Weeks after a management shake-up at the top of the company, Tribune Publishing on Thursday announced a reorganization of the leadership of its flagship paper, the Chicago Tribune.
Bruce Dold, who has served as publisher and editor-in-chief of the paper since February 2016, will leave the Tribune April 30, capping a 42-year career at the newspaper that included a Pulitzer Prize.
Succeeding Dold will be Colin McMahon, Tribune Publishing’s chief content officer, who will immediately add the title of Chicago Tribune editor-in-chief.
Peter Kendall, one of two managing editors at the Tribune, is leaving the newspaper as part of the restructuring, effective Friday. His position will not be filled. Chrissy Taylor will continue to serve as managing editor.
The reorganization is the latest in a series of changes at the company since Alden, a secretive New York hedge fund with a reputation for dramatic cost-cutting, took a 32% stake in Tribune Publishing in November.
However, Tribune Publishing spokesman Tilden Katz said the restructuring was decided locally. “This was a business decision, made in Chicago, by Tribune Publishing senior executives,” Katz said. “We have great confidence in the newsroom leadership going forward.”
Dold, 64, was hired at the Tribune’s suburban operation in 1978 before moving to the Tribune staff in 1983 and joining the editorial board in 1990. In 1994, he won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. He was named editorial page editor in 2000. During his tenure as Chicago Tribune editor, the paper has won one Pulitzer for feature photography and had four finalists.
Kendall, 60, joined the Tribune as an intern 32 years ago. Before he was named managing editor in January 2015, he led the Tribune’s metropolitan news coverage. During his management tenure, the Tribune’s work changed laws, put people in prison and chronicled championships.
McMahon, 56, has served as senior vice president/chief content officer for Tribune Publishing since February 2019 and also oversees Tribune Content Agency, which creates and distributes nonlocal content. Before taking on a corporate role in 2017, he was associate editor at the Chicago Tribune.
He joined the Tribune in 1987 as a copy editor and served as a foreign correspondent before moving into several managerial roles that included leading a major newsroom reorganization to support the launch of the Chicago Tribune’s digital platform.
The departures of Dold and Kendall follow the exits this month of several reporters and editors from the Chicago Tribune, as well as from other papers in the chain, as part of a program to reduce costs and head count through voluntary buyouts.
Also this month, Tribune Publishing announced the exit of CEO Tim Knight, who was succeeded by CFO Terry Jimenez.
Alden’s stake in the company came about mostly by acquiring the stake of former Chairman Michael Ferro. Two Alden representatives subsequently were added to the newspaper company’s board, expanding it to eight members. As part of that agreement, Alden is restricted from increasing its stake in the company to more than 33% until June 30.
In addition to the Chicago Tribune, Tribune Publishing owns the Baltimore Sun; Hartford Courant; Orlando Sentinel; South Florida Sun Sentinel; the New York Daily News; the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland; The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania; the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia; and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia.
