|
|
writenews.com
|
Friday, January 15, 1999 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs Magazine Publishers Are Optimistic Publishers are cautiously optimistic about their prospects for 1999 but the emphasis is definitely on cautious, Folio: magazine reports in its January 1999 issue. Having celebrated record-breaking growth over the past three years, many fear the party may be winding down. "There's a great deal of uncertainty as we head into 1999," says John Heins, president/CEO of Gruner+Jahr USA Publishing. Most publishers see expansion as slight to flat. "We have not seen the same pace of ad-page growth that we saw earlier in '98, but we're not seeing a real slump, either," says Meredith Corp. group president Christopher Little. "It's steady as she goes, with lower, single-digit increases in revenue." Playboy Sells Interest in duPont Registry Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (PEI) has announced that it has sold its 20% interest in duPont Publishing, Inc. to duPont. Playboy acquired its 20% interest in duPont, publisher of A Buyers Gallery of Fine Automobiles, A Buyers Gallery of Fine Boats and A Buyers Gallery of Fine Homes, in December 1988. Christie Hefner, chairman and chief executive officer of PEI, said: "From the beginning, we have enjoyed a rewarding relationship with the founders of duPont Publishing and have supported their goals. When they proposed acquiring our equity to simplify their tax structure, we recognized that it would not only benefit them but also allow us to re-deploy these assets into promising opportunities that are more core to our growth strategies. Playboy intends to target proceeds from the sale toward its international publishing business. The company, in partnership with other media companies, now publishes 17 foreign editions of Playboy magazine. Computer Gaming World Promotes Johnny Wilson, Adds George Jones as Editor-in-Chief Computer Gaming World, a Ziff-Davis publication providing content for computer gamers through print and on-line media, has announced the promotion of Johnny Wilson to the new position of Editorial Director and the return of George Jones to Computer Gaming World as its new Editor-in-Chief. Wilson, who has served as Computer Gaming World Editor-in-Chief since 1989, will expand upon his current duties as Ziff-Davis' primary spokesman within the international computer gaming industry. He will also extend Computer Gaming World's brand into other Ziff-Davis properties like ZDTV, other ZD publications and ZD Events. He will continue to write columns, features and reviews for the magazine. Jones, who served as the Action and Sports Editor on Computer Gaming World from 1994 to 1996, will take over Wilson's editorial management of the magazine as its Editor-in-Chief. "I'm pleased George is taking on the day-to-day running of the magazine," said Wilson. "I consider him a first-rate editor, a committed gamer, and a friend." Lee Uniacke, Publisher of Computer Gaming World, said, "Johnny's editorial philosophy of unbiased, accurate reporting on games has been the bedrock of Computer Gaming World's success. As Editorial Director, Johnny will now be able to devote more of his energy to furthering Computer Gaming World's reach and impact among gamers everywhere." `Southern California Living' Names Fashion Editor, Writers The Los Angeles Times has named a new fashion editor and team to provide expanded coverage of Southern California's place in the multi-billion dollar international fashion industry. Nancy Yoshihara, a Times journalist and editorial writer who has covered retail, finance and consumer affairs, becomes the fashion editor who will direct the fashion, style and beauty coverage appearing in Friday's Southern California Living section, The Times' feature section launched last November. Yoshihara will report to Michelle Williams, editor of Southern California Living. Working with Yoshihara on fashion coverage will be newly hired Valli Herman, senior fashion writer, and Michael Quintanilla, a Southern California Living staff writer who will now cover fashion exclusively. "Nancy is an exceptional writer and editor with a vast knowledge of Southern California's business industry including retailing, marketing and advertising," said John P. Lindsay, a Times managing editor. "Nancy's journalistic experience, drive and vision make her ideally suited for this position." Thomasson Retires as Scripps Vice President/News and Editor of Scripps Howard News Service Dan K. Thomasson is retiring Friday as vice president/news for Scripps Howard newspapers and editor of Scripps Howard News Service. Peter Copeland, 41, Scripps Howard News Service managing editor, will succeed Thomasson as editor and general manager of the service. Thomasson will continue to write a twice-a-week column for the news service. Also, Jay Ambrose, 54, chief editorial writer for the news service and former editor of the Denver Rocky Mountain News, has been promoted to director of editorial policy for the Scripps Howard newspapers. He will be responsible for overseeing editorial policy on national and international issues for Scripps newspapers. Thomasson has been with Scripps Howard for 40 years, serving nearly 35 of those years in Washington. He has been managing editor or editor of Scripps Howard News Service for 23 years, moving it from an in-house operation produced exclusively for Scripps Howard newspapers to a full-service supplemental wire service. "It's tough to come up with superlatives that do justice to someone of Dan Thomasson's stature," said Alan M. Horton, senior vice president/newspapers for Scripps. "Dan has defined what investigative reporting is all about for an entire generation of newspaper journalists. His body of work, including his long tenure as head of one of the most respected supplemental news services in the world, proves his devotion to all that is good about this business." Fortune Expands Its Silicon Valley Bureau, Names Eric Nee Senior Writer Fortune managing editor John Huey has announced the appointment of Eric Nee as a senior writer covering technology based in the magazine's Silicon Valley bureau. Nee's appointment is effective February 1. Nee comes to Fortune from Forbes where he served as Silicon Valley bureau manager since February 1997. "We are delighted to welcome Eric to our team of award-winning technology journalists," Huey said. "In Silicon Valley, he has long been recognized as one of the real players in the game, which makes him a perfect complement to a Fortune team that already includes such highly regarded reporters as Brent Schlender, David Kirkpatrick, Joel Dreyfuss, Andy Kupfer, and Jodi Mardesich. We believe we're the best in the business, and Eric's addition will let us take journalism about technology and business to another level." Prior to working at Forbes, Nee served as editor-in-chief of the computer magazine Upside. Nee also was the west coast bureau chief for Computer Systems News and reported for Electronic News and MIS Week. He received a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Also joining the tech team at Fortune as a contributor is Adam Lashinsky, who will write a monthly tech stocks column, debuting February 15. Lashinsky, the tech stock columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, is known in the Valley for his must-read "Silicon Street". A graduate of the University of Illinois at Champain-Urbana, Lashinsky spent five years reporting for Crain's Chicago Business. In addition, Fortune reporter Jane Hodges will relocate to the magazine's Silicon Valley bureau where she will report on new media and small companies. Hodges came to Fortune in June 1998 after a two-year stint at Advertising Age. She holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. Click here to return to the homepage of The Write NewsTM Click here to subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter.  www.writenews.com Copyright © 1997-2007 by Writers Write, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
