Union-Tribune ed/pub departs, an NPR editor in chief, APA’s new president: TBN Ticker for July 28

This week’s ticker features many major as Jeff Light, editor and publisher at The San Diego Union-Tribune, has left as Alden Global Capital takes control of the paper. NPR has promoted Edith Chapin to senior vice president of news and editor-in-chief, while Eliza Gaines, the publisher of WEHCO Newspapers, Inc. has been tapped to serve as president of the Arkansas Press Association.

Departing after a decade… Jeff Light, editor and publisher at The San Diego Union-Tribune, has left after 13 years – the news following the paper’s sale to vulture capital firm Alden Global Capital. “My idea of the company was that we could all work together, shoulder to shoulder, directed only by our shared love of our work, our belief in one another and our ability to learn together,” Light said. “People who have read the Union-Tribune for the last decade are the ones who know the value of our work. People who work here are the ones who know the experience we built together.” Previously, he served as deputy editor of The Orange County Register, where he worked for 12 years. Light has a B.A. from Brown University and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine – The Paul Merage School of Business. Reach out to Light via Twitter or LinkedIn.

Meet NPR’s new SVP of news and EIC… NPR has appointed Edith Chapin senior vice president of news and editor-in-chief from her post of interim SVP of news and editorial director. She has been with NPR for 11 years. Chapin worked at CNN for 25 years, where she held various posts, including national assignment editor, senior assignment editor New York, Midwest regional bureau chief, New York bureau chief, and VP and deputy bureau chief. Chapin graduated from Northwestern University. Be sure to congratulate Chapin on Twitter.

Arkansas Press Association has a new president… Eliza Gaines, the publisher of WEHCO Newspapers, Inc., the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s parent company, and daughter of former publisher Walter Hussman Jr., was elected unanimously by the association’s board of directors as its 145th president. “I’m honored to represent an association that is still going strong after 150 years and whose motto is ‘Free Press, Free People,” Gaines said. “I’ve seen firsthand the association’s commitment to government transparency and the sustainability of newspapers across the state.” Read more here.

Philly Mag appoints pols writer… Philadelphia Magazine has tapped award-winning journalist Ernest Owens to serve as political writer at large. “It’s a new role the publication has created and it speaks to the evolution of my work and elevates the coverage Philly needs now more than ever. As the first-ever Political Writer at Large, I will be exclusively focusing on covering the city’s political class in longform profiles and investigations in the pages of the magazine,” Owens wrote on Twitter. “Across America, especially in Pennsylvania, there’s been a lack of Black political journalists. Throughout my career, I’ve had to fight to break through the doors of City Hall and speak truth to power. I hope this moment inspires other newsrooms to shake up the political news desks with more people who look like me.” Owens is the CEO of Ernest Media Empire, LLC, a media company specializing in writing, communications and consulting. He has also contributed to MTV, CNN, NBC News, USA Today and The Huffington Post.

Lexington TV station appoints Davis co-anchor… WLEX-TV Ch. 18, an NBC affiliate in Lexington, Ken., has appointed Maggie Davis co-anchor of BBN Tonight. She wrote on Twitter, “I love @BBNTonight and everyone who works on our show. Thankful and excited for this next step!” She will also continue her role as the show’s producer and reporter. Davis joined the TV station in September 2020. Previously, she held the posts of sports writer, Sunday editor and digital host at Kentucky Sports Radio, where she worked for more than four years. Davis has a B.A. from the University of Kentucky. You can congratulate Davis via Twitter.

NBC News’ national correspondent… Liz Kreutz has joined NBC News as a national correspondent. Recently, she was at San Francisco’s ABC News outlet KGO-TV Ch. 7, where she held the posts of reporter/fill-in-anchor and weekend morning anchor/reporter. She also won an Emmy for short-form political reporting and is a Sacramento Press Club’s Journalism Award winner for long-form political reporting. She also worked as an evening anchor and reporter at News10 and has worked at ABC News for more than six years. She freelanced for the New York Post and has worked at NBC Universal, Condé Nast and Time Out New York. Kreutz graduated from New York University. Be sure to congratulate Kreutz on Twitter.

Setty moves to Bloomberg’s labor beat… Riddhi Setty is now covering labor at Bloomberg Law. In her new role, she will cover the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Recently, Setty covered the U.S. Patent and Trademark office and Copyright Office. She interned at Voice of America and ITV. Setty has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from American University. Be sure to congratulate Setty on Twitter.

Hulin joins L.A. Times as deputy director of photography… Rachel Hulin has joined the Los Angeles Times as deputy director of photography, focused on entertainment, features and lifestyle coverage. A photographer, writer and author, she has worked as a photo editor at Rolling Stone, Radar magazine and People magazine. Her editorial clients have included the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, the New Republic and Real Simple. She began her career at the Guggenheim Museum, where she created visual solutions for the museum’s online offerings. She has a bachelor of arts from Brown University and a master of arts from New York University.

Johnstone swaps NBC for NY Times… Elizabeth Johnstone will join The New York Times politics desk as its first news director on July 31. She joins from NBC News Digital, where she served as managing editor for politics and a senior digital politics editor overseeing the network’s entire digital politics team. She has also worked at MSNBC and D Magazine. She has also worked as a fashion features intern at Harper’s Bazaar, Hearst Magazines, and was an assistant managing editor at Washington Square News. Johnstone graduated from New York University.

MailOnline appoints Quinnell TikTok social producer… Dan Quinnell will join MailOnline as a TikTok social producer. He comes from TalkTV at News UK, where held the post of news producer, as well as researcher and assistant producer. From May 2019 to March 2021, he worked as a video journalist at MailOnline. He freelanced for Bauer Media. Quinnell has a B.A. from Nottingham Trent University. You can congratulate Quinnell via Twitter.

GB News nabs Reach plc’s Cooke… GB News has hired Millie Cooke as a digital political editor. She will begin in August. Since October 2021, she has been at Reach plc, where she held the posts of news reporter and political reporter for the Daily Express. Cooke freelanced and was a junior researcher at BBC Newsnight. She reported for Archant and interned at The Brunswick Group. Cooke has a bachelor’s degree from Durham University and a master’s degree from City, University of London. You can connect with her via Twitter.

File under cheesy: Cheddar News on sale… Cable company Altice USA is weighing a potential sale of Cheddar News, report Lauren Hirsch and Ben Mullin of The New York Times. “Altice USA has hired Goldman Sachs to help explore strategic alternatives for Cheddar News, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. They cautioned that Altice is still weighing its options and may decide against a sale. Representatives for Altice USA and Goldman declined to comment. Cheddar had pitched itself as the future of financial news, featuring interviews with C.E.O.s, newsmakers and journalists from the floor of the N.Y.S.E. Cheddar doesn’t operate like a traditional cable business. The network’s founder, the former BuzzFeed president Jon Steinberg, struck deals to distribute it across a wide range of platforms.” Read more here.

Hearst Magazines axes 41 jobs… Business of Fashion reports, “Hearst Magazines has laid off a number of editorial employees, affecting brands including Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and more. According to the Hearst Magazines union Twitter account, 41 union members were impacted by the layoffs. Teen-focussed publication Seventeen is being brought under the leadership of Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Jessica Giles. Seventeen editor-in-chief Kristin Koch is stepping down from the brand at the end of September. As we continue to produce the highest-quality content across all platforms, we’re also making strategic decisions that position the business for long-term growth,” a spokesperson for Hearst told BoF.” Read more here.

WaPo’s energy hire… The Washington Examiner has hired Nancy Vu as an energy reporter. She joins from Politico, where she has held the posts of editorial intern, digital producer and digital producer and recently congressional reporter for Congress Minutes. Vu has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Howard University, where she reported for the student-operated newspaper The Hilltop. Be sure to congratulate Vu on Twitter.

Crunchbase lays off health reporter…Keerthi Vedantam, a health technology reporter at Crunchbase, wrote on Twitter, “I was part of staff-wide layoffs at Crunchbase. Can’t lie, I’m still devastated. I’m looking for freelance gigs, job leads and mentorship — it’s a tough time for journalism but I’m so proud to be a tech reporter and I’d love some advice on how to stick around.” Vedantam has worked as a bioscience reporter at dot.LA and as an enterprise tech fellow at Business Insider. She also interned on the business and technology desk of The Seattle Times, Axios and NBC News. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Arizona State University. Reach out to Vedantam via Twitter or LinkedIn.

A nonprofit hires for energy coverage… Sarah Elbeshbishi has joined nonprofit Mountain State Spotlight to cover energy and environment. She joins from USA Today, where she has worked on Politics Now, as a universal reporter and recently, as politics reporter. Elbeshbishi served as programming chair and chapter president at the Society of Professional Journalists. Elbeshbishi has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Maryland. Be sure to congratulate Elbeshbishi on Twitter.

CNBC’s Tausche joins CNN… Kayla Tausche has been hired by CNN as a Senior White House Correspondent. Tausche joins CNN after more than a decade at CNBC, most recently serving as anchor and senior White House Correspondent reporting on the Biden administration, Cabinet agencies and elections and filling in as anchor for all CNBC programs. She served as a co-host for CNBC’s 2020 election night coverage and Inauguration Day. From 2014 to 2017, Tausche co-hosted Squawk Alley, a show focusing on the intersection of Wall Street and Silicon Valley, from the New York Stock Exchange. When she joined CNBC in 2011, she covered Wall Street and its evolution after the 2008 financial crisis. Tausche began her career with posts at the Associated Press in Brussels and the Financial Times Group in London and New York. She graduated from the University of North Carolina.

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.