Outtakes – Departure Affects News Zoning
by October 16, 2000 12:00 am 80 views
In our Oct. 2 issue, we noted that the Morning News zoning seemed to stop in mid-September, although the four editions of the newspaper still had the different city names listed on the Page 1 flag.
rPart of this problem was due to the departure of Darin Bunch on Sept. 22, publisher Tom Stallbaumer said.
rThe Morning News began zoning the newspaper on Sept. 1, and a redesign of the newspaper went fully into effect on Sept. 21.
rBunch, formerly the Sunday edition editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was in charge of the Morning News redesign. Bunch was working from the office of the Southwest Times-Record in Fort Smith. All three newspapers are owned by Donrey Media Group.
r”It created some manpower problems,” Stallbaumer said of Bunch’s departure. “We’re doing more zoning now. We’re going to phase it in as best we can without killing anybody.”
r”I left for personal reasons,” Bunch said. “I did not like the way the operation was going, but that’s not why I left.”
rBunch started Oct. 9 as executive editor of the Merced Sun-Star in Merced, Calif.
rBunch said the redesigning and zoning of the Morning News should have been implemented over a six-month period instead of two months.
rBunch said the “universal desk” in Fort Smith should have the zoning of the Morning News going smoothly soon.
r”To say they’ve been scrambling since Sept. 1 would be accurate,” he said. “I think they’re going to get there. They have a tremendous group of people in Fort Smith.”