New executive editor reflects on challenges; starts revealing structure

This post originally appeared in Wired Journalists.

The top editor isn't the only position that will be overseeing three newspapers when Advance Publications begins printing its "daily" newspapers in Saginaw, Flint, and Baby City three times a week.

The new leader,John P. Hiner, reflected online about some of the changes that coming:

"We're taking all that institutional knowledge, all of the equity in these great brands, and building a three-day print product that is as good as anything that's ever rolled off our presses. And we're going to offer online products in news and advertising that, like the newspaper in its heyday, will be the best in their market. It will be a great challenge. And every bit a historic opportunity."

Read the rest online in The view from Fifth and Adams is steeped in community, brimming wit...

Some of that historic opportunity started Monday, when he announced the top editors for The Flint Journal, The Bay City Times and The Saginaw News. Women will lead the three newspapers for the first time ever in the top role now called community editor.

The other positions are:

• Jodi McFarland, 34, is the community editor in Saginaw.
• Marjory Raymer, 35, is the community editor in Flint
• Kelly Adrian Frick, 39, is the community editor in Bay City.
• Bernie Eng, 42, of Saginaw Township is content strategist, who also will do the visual piece for the newspapers and online operations.
• Paul Neumeyer, 50, becomes the sports topic editor.
• Carol Zedaker, 42, is the features topic editor for the three newspapers.
• Clark Hughes, 51, will serve as community voices topic editor for the papers.

You'll find more details on Saginaw here and on Flint here.

Flint's editor, John Foren, is leaving to pursue new adventures on June 1.

The new publisher of the three newspapers is Matt Sharp, son of Flint's retiring publisher Dave Sharp. Paul Chaffee, who had been publisher and editor in Saginaw, will become a consultant under the new plan. Retiring Bay City publisher C. Kevin Dykema will serve as a consultant with Dave Sharp.

By the way, Chaffee and Dykema talked about a lot of the changes in an interview broken into two recordings.
Listen to part one and part two.