Feb. 24--Veteran Chicago Tribune editor Phil Jurik was named to the new position of Suburban Trib editor, the newspaper said Tuesday.
In his new role, Jurik will oversee a growing network of suburban publications under the Tribune banner, including 50 websites, 32 stand-alone weekly newspapers, 16 weekly TribLocal sections and five dailies. The portfolio was bolstered by the Chicago Tribune's $23.5 million acquisition of 38 suburban newspapers from the Chicago Sun-Times in October.
Part of the Chicago Tribune newsroom for 12 years, Jurik started as bureau chief in south suburban Tinley Park. In 2008, he was promoted to deputy metro editor, overseeing the Tribune's suburban bureaus. Previously, Jurik was a reporter and then sports editor for the Daily Southtown, one of the suburban dailies acquired from the Sun-Times.
Jurik will report to Chicago Tribune Managing Editor Peter Kendall, and Bob Fleck, general manager and publisher of the suburban group. Kendall was elevated to managing editor last month.
"Phil is just the editor to lead this effort," Kendall and Fleck said in a joint staff memo. "He believes in the power and importance of community news, knows in his bones that no story is quite as immediate or interesting as the one that happens down the street."
Jurik has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northern Illinois University and a master's in public affairs reporting from Sangamon State University. He lives in the south suburbs.
rchannick@tribpub.com
