Top Management Shakeup at Washington Times

Exec. Editor, Executives Gone as Paper Plans Major Staff Reductions

Nov 14, 2009 John Seidenberg

Uncertainty surrounds the Washington Times after executive firings and the unexplained resignation of the executive editor. The paper also announces staff cutbacks.

Top management at the Washington Times is out, including the newspaper’s executive editor, amid speculation about the paper’s future with the subsequent announcement of planned staff layoffs in 2010. The sudden course of events occurred over the span of a few days.

The Times announced Nov. 12 that John Solomon, executive editor since January 2008, had resigned as of Nov. 6. This delayed news came less than a week after the Nov. 8 dismissal of three top executives of the newspaper: Thomas McDevitt, the president and publisher; Keith Cooperrider, the chief financial officer; and Douglas Dong Moon Joo, the chairman. Jonathan Slevin was named acting president and publisher.

In a press release the following day, the Times attributed the firings to the economy. “Today’s industry conditions and the general economic downturn necessitate this team-based assessment, planning, and subsequent implementation of a plan to enable The Times to become a sustainable multimedia company in today’s challenging news industry environment.”

“The announcement of Mr. Solomon's resignation followed four event-filled days at the newspaper that were closely followed by other news organizations and bloggers,” Jennifer Harper wrote in the November 13, 2009 Washington Times story, “Solomon resigns as TWT editor. "'We will conduct business as usual under the able leadership of Jeff Birnbaum, managing editor-digital, and David Jones, managing editor-print,’ said Jonathan Slevin, acting president and publisher of The Times.”

Despite those assurances, Slevin later announced plans to cutback staff beginning in January 2010 possibly up to 40% and a reduction in the paper's size. The Times will focus on national and cultural issues and de-emphasize local coverage of Washington. It will also begin free distribution with fewer newstand sales.

Washington Times Offers No Reason for Resignation of Executive Editor Solomon

The Times gave no reason for Solomon's resignation and he has declined comment. "There are no plans to shut the company down," Slevin had told a Nov. 10 meeting of the newspaper's employees.

He subsequently acknowledged that Solomon's former job may not be filled.

"Analysts estimate that the Times has lost close to $2 billion since its 1982 founding, and the industry downtown has undoubtedly increased the tide of red ink," Howard Kurtz wrote in "Washington Times confirms departure of its top editor," in the Washington Post on November 13, 2009.

Even before his departure was announced, Solomon was gone from the Times' Washington headquarters and was out of communication with a number of colleagues. "One possible reason for Solomon's scarcity: He has lost his parking spot," Erik Wemple reported in the November 10, 2009 Washington City Paper in "Solomon Loses Parking Space at Washington Times." "According to Washington Times sources, the signs that reserved spaces for top company officials have been stripped away, including the one for Solomon."

Solomon Hired as Washington Times Editor From Rival Washington Post

The Washington Times hired Solomon away from the Washington Post, its politically opposite rival where he had covered money and politics as an investigative reporter. He previously worked for the Associated Press. While Solomon was at the Times, the paper undertook an upgrade of its Web site as well as establishing a companion site--TheConservatives.com, which the paper now intends to expand--started a Washington Times radio network, and initiated a citizen journalism project and syndication service.

"The Talking Points Memo (TMP) Web site has closely followed developments at the paper, founded by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the Korean leader of the Unification Church. It has cited confusion and uncertainty among Times employees, unpaid bills at the paper, armed guards in the building, a closed off employee parking lot, and a family dispute over succession among Moon’s children.

In addition, the Times stopped making matching contributions to its employee 401(k) savings accounts. "Ever since Monday's management shake-up, there has been speculation that the paper could be lacking funds to keep the operation going," said Michael Calderone in the November 13, 2009 Politico in "WashTimes suspends 401(k) contributions." "And security guards have been brought in to watch over the financial records as a new CFO comes aboard, with staffers blocked from accessing management's third floor."

In a separate development, Washington Times former editorial page editor Richard Miniter filed a discrimination suit Nov. 17 against the newspaper with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He claimed he was forced to attend a Unification Church religious ceremony in New York in December 2008 with the implication not doing so could affect his employment. The ceremony ended with Moon performing multiple weddings, Miniter said. McDevitt was among those present at the event. In his suit Miniter stated he was dimissed from his job in October.

Unification Church Announces Power Transfer from Rev. Sun Myung Moon to Sons

In October, the Unification Church announced a transfer of operations from Moon, who is nearing 90, to his sons. TMP reported that a source had told it the firings at the Washington Times involved a falling out between Hyung-jin Moon, 30, and Hyun-jin Moon, 40, also known as Preston, both U.S.-educated sons of Moon. Preston holds a Harvard MBA and is chairman of News World Communications, the church-owned parent company of the Times.

According to TMP, Preston Moon was dismayed that his brother Hyung-jin was tapped by their father to be the church's religious leader. Preston allegedly considered shutting down the newspaper when the three Times executives who ended up losing their jobs would not support him in relation to Hyung-jin.

In a point of contention, as reported by TMP, Moon purportedly intervened in the conflict between his two sons and the firings may have been reached as a possible compromise measure. But TMP also contacted Douglas Dong Moon Joo, the terminated chairman of the paper, who stated the dismissals were unrelated to any issues involving the Moon brothers.

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Rev. Sun Myung Moon, head of Unification Church