This week’s ticker is in full swing with plenty going on in the journo world — starting off with discontent in The New York Times sports section as it officially shutters Monday. The NewsGuild has “filed a grievance with the newspaper” and will stage a walk out on Monday. On the upside, Idaho Press has named Matthew Tranquill publisher and Idaho regional president. Tranquill said he is “eager to get started in this new opportunity and get involved with this great community.” Shaw Media has hired former Chicago Tribune journalists Diana Wallace and Mark Hume in editorial roles. Read on our ticker for buzz in the TV industry and plenty more!
NY Times shutters sports section – NewsGuild takes action … The New York Times sports section will officially close on Monday as the Times shifts its complete focus on The Athletic to provide sports coverage both in print and online. The NewsGuild is not happy with this news. An excerpt reads, “The guild filed a grievance with the newspaper accusing management of replacing union work with nonunion work. The Athletic’s newsroom of around 400 reporters and editors is not unionized. The Times has said it is contracting with the Athletic, which the company says is not part of the Times newsroom, the same way it does with a wire service like the Associated Press. In continued protest of management’s decision, Times sports staffers are planning a march through the office and a rally outside the Times headquarters Monday afternoon, with speeches and a brass band. Despite the dissolution of the sports desk, the Times company will continue to cover sports. The Times paid $550 million for the Athletic last year and acquired the site’s approximately 1 million subscribers.” Read more here.
Meet the new publisher of the Idaho Press … The Idaho Press has appointed Matthew Tranquill publisher and Idaho regional president. “I am eager to get started in this new opportunity and get involved with this great community. Quality journalism is essential in any community, and building relationships with the readers and stakeholders is crucial for the success of any media outlet,” Tranquill said. “I believe that the Idaho Press has a vital role in informing the public and providing accurate and unbiased news. I look forward to building on the Idaho Press’s success as a local news provider and trusted business partner using the strengths of our print and growing digital platforms.” Tranquill joined from Lee Enterprises, where he recently served as regional president of Courier and Globe Media Groups. Tranquill graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. Be sure to congratulate Tranquill on X/Twitter.
Shaw Media hires ex-Tribune staffers for editorial roles … Diana Wallace and Mark Hume have joined Shaw Media as editor of The Northwest Herald, and as the West suburban editor, respectively. Wallace and Hume join from the Chicago Tribune, where Wallace was a senior content editor, and Hume was a deputy senior content editor. Previously, Wallace worked at the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald and then was the Tribune’s suburban bureau chief. She graduated from the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois Springfield’s Public Affairs Reporting program. Hume has also worked as a visual team leader at the News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida. He also worked as a photographer at The Herald-Times in Bloomington, Indiana; The Associated Press’ Nicaragua chief bureau photographer; and as a staff photographer at the El Paso Herald-Post. He graduated from Indiana University.
CBS Minneapolis names Nemitz news director… Minneapolis station and CBS outlet WCCO-TV Ch. 4 has appointed Brian Nemitz its news director. Since June 2018, he has held the same post at North Carolina TV station WLOS-TV Ch. 13, where he also served as an assistant news director. He was an executive producer at Miami NBC station WTVJ-TV Ch. 6 and WEAR-TV Ch. 3, an ABC affiliate in Pensacola, Fla. He worked as a senior producer at WZZM-TV Ch. 13, an ABC affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich., and as a producer and reporter at ABC station WQOW-TV Ch. 18 in Eau Claire, Wisc. Nemitz graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. You can congratulate Nemitz on X/Twitter.
A news director hire at ABC Indiana … WBND-TV Ch. 57, an ABC affiliate in South Bend, Ind., has hired Molly Jirasek as a news director. She comes from NewsNation, where she recently served as line producer and segment producer for the morning show “NewsNation Live.” Jirasek joined NewsNation in June 2020 as a line producer for the newscast “Rush Hour.” She served as an assistant news director at WEEK-TV Ch. 25, an NBC, ABC and CW Plus affiliate in Peoria, Ill., and as a multimedia journalist and producer at WSBT-TV Ch. 22, a CBS and Fox affiliate in South Bend. She also worked at Indiana TV station WAJV-TV Ch. 28 in Elkhart, Ind. Jirasek has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Indiana University Bloomington.
Miller joins CBS Atlanta as evening co-anchor … Atlanta CBS affiliate WANF-TV Ch. 46 has hired Blair Miller as evening co-anchor. He will join from Cox Media Group, where he served as anchor. Miller was also a news anchor at Boston Fox station WFXT-TV Ch. 25 and wrote for the Boston Magazine. He also worked for more than a decade as a news anchor and reporter at WSOC-TV Ch. 9, an ABC and Telemundo affiliate in Charlotte. Miller has a B.A. from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. You can congratulate Miller on X/Twitter.
D.C.’s Fox station welcomes a news anchor … Washington D.C.’s Fox outlet WTTG-TV Ch. 5 has appointed Kenneth Moton news anchor. He joins from international strategy consulting firm Actum, where he was senior VP. Previously, Moton was a news anchor and national correspondent at ABC News. He has also worked as a general assignment reporter at Philadelphia’s ABC outlet WPVI-TV Ch. 6; WFTV-TV Ch. 9, an ABC affiliate in Orlando; News 14 Carolina and WLTX-TV Ch. 19, a CBS affiliate in Columbia, S.C. Moton has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of South Carolina.
Chalmers becomes acting health features editor at The Sun … The Sun has tapped Vanessa Chalmers to serve as acting health features editor for The Sun and Fabulous magazine. She will be providing maternity cover. Chalmers has been freelancing since March 2023, and previously worked as a senior digital health reporter at News UK’s The Sun. She also served as MailOnline’s UK health reporter. Chalmers graduated from Canterbury Christ Church University in England. You can congratulate Chalmers via X/Twitter.
The Times in UK has a new news reporter … Sian Bradley has joined The Times as a news reporter. Recently, she was a journalist on the lifestyle desk at Metro.co.uk. Bradley freelanced for various outlets, including the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Metro, Huffington Post, Dazed, Cosmo, Vice and Stylist. She also worked as a SEO journalist at Reach plc and, interned at Wired UK and Press Association. She was a broadcast assistant at BBC News and a blogger at WordPress. Bradley has a B.A. from the University of Sheffield and a M.A. from City, University of London. You can congratulate Bradley on X/Twitter.
New Scientist makes a top promotion … Tiffany O’Callaghan, U.S. editor at The New Scientist, has taken on the role of U.S. publisher. She has been working at The New Scientist for more than a decade. Since joining in March 2011, O’Callaghan has held the posts of opinion editor, feature editor, acting head of features and head of features. She also held the posts of health and science writer and lead writer for the wellness blog at Time Magazine. O’Callaghan has a B.A. in English and Spanish from Colgate University in New York and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Be sure to congratulate O’Callaghan on X/Twitter.
Boston Globe hires Perlman as digital producer … The Boston Globe has tapped Jenna Perlman to serve as a digital producer. She joins from Boston ABC station WCVB-TV Ch. 5. Previously, Perlman worked as an associate digital line producer at WBZ-TV Ch. 4, Boston’s CBS outlet, and as a TV news producer at Waterman Broadcasting of Florida, LLC. In addition, she interned at WFXT-TV Ch. 25, a Fox affiliate in Boston, Boston Magazine, the Jerusalem Post and Cartoon Network. Perlman has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University.
Elle Magazine’s print edition is back … Smh.com.au reported, “Iconic fashion magazine title Elle is returning to print in 2024 thanks to a resurgence in readership of hard copy publications, a phenomenon its publisher’s boss, Jane Huxley, calls extraordinary. The title will return to shelves in March, with a second to be published in September, each coinciding with the biggest seasonal fashion points of the year, before moving to four editions in 2025. The new edition will come almost four years after it last hit the printing presses. Are Media says details on the team behind the relaunch, including its editor, will come next week.” Read more here.
N.C. publisher acquires McClatchy’s Charlotte press … North State Media, parent of the North State Journal has bought McClatchy’s Charlotte printing plant that The Wall Street Journal developed in 1982 and was sold to McClatchy in 2013. North State Media paid $4.65 million for the purchase, as per a Mecklenburg County filing. North State’s president Neal Robbins announced the acquisition this week. All 30 staff members will remain on board. To run the new “Charlotte Publishing Company,” Robbins hired veteran McClatchy executive William King as chief operating officer. King has more than three decades of experience in newspapers, most recently as a regional VP for McClatchy. Read more here.
NY Times taps Lowe to serve on the Metro desk … Shauntel Lowe, an assistant editor in Sports at The New York Times, has moved to Metro as editor-in-charge of the weekly Metropolitan section. She has been with the Times for more than five years. Previously, Lowe was at the Bleacher Report, where she held the posts of quality editor and senior deputy editor. She was also an AOL editor at Patch.com. She also covered K-12 education, health and crime at California-based newspaper Vallejo Times Herald. Lowe has a B.A. from UCLA.
NY Times announces a move in Culture … Emmanuel Morgan, a sports reporter at The New York Times, has joined Culture as a general assignment reporter. As a sports reporter, he covered the N.F.L. and combat sports. Previously, Morgan was a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, where he focused on N.F.L. enterprise stories. He interned at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Charlotte Observer. He was also a fellow at News21. Morgan has a B.A. in journalism from Elon University in North Carolina. Be sure to congratulate Morgan on X/Twitter.
CNN makes an international promotion … Marc Stewart has taken on the role of Beijing correspondent at CNN. Recently, he held the post of international correspondent based in Asia, covering breaking news, politics, business, economics and culture. In his new role, Stewart will cover the politics, economics and cultural facets of China. He will also co-host “CNN Marketplace Asia,” the monthly business news magazine featuring high-profile CEO interviews and features. He joined the network in February 2022 as a contributor. He also freelanced for NPR and WBUR’S nationally syndicated radio show “Here & Now.” He has also worked at The Wall Street Journal, Denver’s ABC station KMGH-TV Ch. 7 and WSMV-TV Ch. 4, an NBC affiliate in Nashville. Stewart has a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University James Madison College and a master’s degree from New York University.
FT launches digital app … The Financial Times has launched an app version of the FT Digital Edition, a digital replica of the print newspaper designed for easy reading on any device. The FT Digital Edition, previously known as the ePaper, allows users to skim through curated content published in the print edition of the FT. The app headline and article view, offline reading and audio, translation into 25 languages, and an archive dating back 10 years. “The FT Digital Edition app is the perfect companion for readers who want a sense of completion after consuming their daily news. It offers a curated beginning, middle and end to their FT experience wherever they are in the world,” said Nicola Halstead, director of print subscriptions and digital editions, in a statement. Launched as a desktop product in 2015 and then as a standalone subscription in 2020, the FT has continued to invest in its ePaper offering to match growing demand, particularly outside of the UK. Read more here.
Bloomberg names Malingha senior editor EMEA … Bloomberg has appointed David Malingha to the post of senior editor EMEA news desk, from his recent post of East Africa bureau chief. Malingha has been with Bloomberg for over a decade, also holding the posts of Rwanda, Eastern Congo and Burundi correspondent, Tanzania correspondent, East Africa correspondent and Nigeria correspondent. Malingha completed his graduation in Africa from Makerere University and a MBA from Management University of Africa. You can congratulate Malingha on X/Twitter.
Wilson takes on new role at the Financial Times … Tom Wilson, energy correspondent at the Financial Times, has taken on the expanded role of acting natural resources editor. Wilson joined in August 2018 as East Africa bureau chief. He also served as acting Middle East and Africa news editor and world news editor. He also held the posts of foreign correspondent and energy and commodities reporter at Bloomberg News. Wilson has a B.A. from the University of Nottingham. Be sure to congratulate Wilson via X/Twitter.
The Wire hires Cheung to cover China … Rachel Cheung has joined The Wire China as a staff writer to cover China’s economic rise and its influence on global business, finance, trade, labor and the environment. Recently, Cheung was a reporter at Vice News, where she covered a broad range of stories about the Greater China region from breaking news to original features. She freelanced for the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, Quartz, Nikkei Asian Review, Columbia Journalism Review, Al Jazeera English, The Telegraph, The Hong Kong Free Press, The Guardian and Fortune magazine. She also worked as a culture and lifestyle reporter at the South China Morning Post. Be sure to congratulate Cheung on X/Twitter.
Mariam Ahmed is Talking Biz News’ content correspondent. For tips on the Friday TBN Ticker, email her at mariam@talkingbiznews.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
