Categories: OLD Media Moves

KC Star plans to dissolve business news desk

The Kansas City Star plans to dismantle its business desk and move those reporters into other areas of a completely reorganized newsroom, according to a memo by editor Mike Fannin.

Jams Dornbrook of the Kansas City Business Journal writes, “The memo was sent to members of the Star‘s newsroom and picked up by Jim Fitzpatrick, a former Star editor who writes a local blog called JimmyCsays. The memo outlined a plan to create a news department with four main beats: local and state government; business; crime and courts; and education.

“Business reporters Diane Stafford and Mark Davis will join the news team and continue to cover business. However, Joyce Smith will be moving to the FYI team to work with Kathy Lu on retail and restaurant coverage.

“The changes will be effective July 27.

“Fannin remains the Star‘s top editor, with Greg Farmer running the newsroom.

“The newsroom reorganization is driven by an overall redesign underway as part of the McClatchy Co.’s 2020 Project. The plan is to transform the Star into a ‘fully digital newsroom,’ the memo stated.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.