New York Observer

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 3:05pm on Saturday, November 7th, 2009

Kyle Pope is the next editor of the New York Observer, the newspaper announced on November 5, 2009:

Observer publisher Jared Kushner announced the appointment today of Pope, formerly the number two editor at Conde Nast Portfolio.

Mr. Pope started his career in journalism in 1994 as reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal. He was part of the team awarded the Pulitzer for the paper's coverage of the 9/11 attacks. He spent two years freelancing for the op-ed section of the Los Angeles Times and the Arts and Style section of The New York Times.

Editor Tom McGeveran, who announced last week that he will be leaving the paper at the end of the year, said, "I've gotten to spend some time with him over the last couple of days and the things that impressed me most were his intimate knowledge of this paper as a reader and his love of what the Observer stands for."

The full story:
http://www.observer.com/2009/media/kyle-pope-next-editor-observer

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 1:17pm on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

The recently hired editor of the New York Observer is resigning, the newspaper announced on October 28, 2009:

"Tom McGeveran announced to staff today that he is leaving The New York Observer to start a new business venture. His last day at The Observer will be Dec. 31.

Mr. McGeveran took over as editor in May, replacing Peter Kaplan. In a statement, he said, "I have to thank Jared for giving me the opportunity I've had to work with this great staff and to make The New York Observer. But I'm moving on to something new, and as sad as it makes me to leave, change is good and I wish Jared and The Observer all the best."

The full story:
http://www.observer.com/2009/media/tom-mcgeveran-leaving-observer

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 10:48pm on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Drama critic John Heilpern has left the New York Observer, with some unkind words for publisher Jared Kushner, the New York Post reported on September 4, 2009:

"The ever-dwindling New York Drama Critics Circle has lost another one: John Heilpern, who left the New York Observer after 17 years.

"Nobody asked me to leave," he says. "I just felt it was time to move on. Read into that what you will."

What a good idea!

My hunch is that Heilpern, an elegant, erudite and delightfully WASPish critic, wasn't too pleased that his reviews were being cut down to make room for short, punchy showbiz items.

Under its young publisher, Jared Kushner, the Observer has become more tabloid-y, with a heavy emphasis on the real estate deals of celebrities.

"I wish the paper all the best," says Heilpern. "I don't want to be too negative about the 12-year-old owner, Jared Kushner, but as my ma and pa from Manchester, England, used to say, 'That boy couldn't run a chip shop.'"

The full story:
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/verge_of_shakeup_BdfZoqqFHpiOf4f1PIY9hI

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 7:58pm on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

The New York Observer has laid off a large part of its staff, Richard Perez-Pena of the New York Times reported on June 8, 2009:

"Just days after changing editors, The New York Observer laid off a significant chunk of its employees on Friday, including as much as a third of its editorial staff.

The Observer, a privately held weekly, did not disclose the number of people let go, but one person briefed on the matter said it was 15, including 10 in the newsroom, while another said the total was “in the low teens.” Both were granted anonymity because they did not want to be seen as violating The Observer’s decision not to give interviews on the subject.

The paper had about 80 employees before the layoffs, including about 30 in the newsroom, where the layoffs were concentrated. One person briefed on the plan said that some of the journalists who were dismissed may continue to be contributors on a freelance basis."

The full story:
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/days-after-changing-editors-new-york-observer-lays-off-big-chunk-of-its-staff/