LOS ANGELES_In another dramatic shake-up at the Los Angeles Times, Chicago journalist Jim Kirk will be named editor in chief of the newspaper, replacing Lewis D'Vorkin, who will move to another position within the parent company.
The move _ which is expected to be announced Monday_ follows two weeks of turmoil at The Times, including a unionization vote by newsroom employees and accelerating hostilities between D'Vorkin and his staff.
Kirk, who previously served as publisher and editor of The Chicago Sun-Times, joined The Times' parent company, Tronc, in August. He was named interim editor of the Times on Aug. 21 after a sweeping shake-up of top editors, but Kirk stepped aside after D'Vorkin joined The Times in early November.
But this time around, Kirk, 52, is being named the permanent editor to lead The Times' newsroom, said Marisa Kollias, spokesperson for Tronc. D'Vorkin, who was the chief product officer at Forbes until October, becomes the chief officer to develop content for digital and mobile consumers, according to the company.
The newsroom has become alarmed by the hiring in recent months of several news executives who report to business executives _ not editors in the newsroom. But those hires have not been announced to the newsroom, sparking suspicion about the company's motives for the new team. The unrest, and the unexplained suspension of a popular editor in the newsroom, attracted the attention of other major publications, including The Washington Post, Huffington Post and The New York Times.
Reporters and editors have been worried that Tronc was building a shadow newsroom in an effort to blur the lines between news and advertising in a bid to boost revenue. Editors and reporters have asked questions about the business-side operation, but D'Vorkin and other Tronc executives have not been forthcoming.
Traditionally, a virtual wall separates the newsroom from the business executives as a way to protect the journalists and maintain credibility with readers.
"We are continuing to invest in high-quality journalism, which will always be the company's top priority," said Justin Dearborn, Tronc's chief executive officer.
"Jim Kirk is a talented news veteran who is the ideal person to lead the Los Angeles Times newsroom," Dearborn added. "We believe his established passion for news, and his management experience with big-city news teams, make him uniquely qualified."
The latest shake-up comes just 10 days after The Times' publisher, Ross Levinsohn, was placed on unpaid leave following revelations that he had been a defendant in two sexual harassment lawsuits while he worked at other media companies before joining The Times. People who previously worked with Levinsohn said that he fostered a "frat boy" culture and that he made sexist and homophobic remarks.
Tronc then hired the Sidley Austin law firm to investigate the allegations against Levinsohn after a detailed report by National Public Radio. Investigators have been interviewing the people who worked for Levinsohn, and the firm's probe has not been completed, according to two knowledgeable people.
