FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 10, 2015

Contact Information:
Dan Schnur
(213) 740-8964
dan.schnur@mindspring.com

IN WAKE OF BEUTNER DISMISSAL, DIVERSE GROUP OF L.A. LEADERS CALLS ON TRIBUNE PUBLISHING
TO REESTABLISH LOCAL LEADERSHIP AT L.A. TIMES
Los Angeles On the heels of the Los Angeles Times parent company Tribune Publishing abruptly
announcing the ouster of longtime community leader Austin Beutner as the papers chief, a coalition of
L.A.s most prominent civic stakeholders have released an open letter calling on the Chicago-based
media company for a restoration of local leadership at the Times. Among the signers of the letter were
former L.A. Mayors Richard Riordan and Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as the Chairman of L.A. 2020
Commission Mickey Kantor.
The group of stakeholders representing a broad cross-section of civic leadership in the L.A. community
has issued an open letter to the Board of Directors at Tribune Publishing that discusses the function of
a newspaper as a reflection of and a partner to the community it serves, and the critical importance of
allowing the Times to be guided by local leadership.
A successful newspaper not only serves as the voice of a community, but as a common ground on
which its citizens can come together to exchange ideas, create and strengthen relationships, and forge
consensus on how to make their community a better place to live, the letter says As you move
ahead, we strongly urge you to continue with leadership that knows and loves Los Angeles, and shares
our commitment to its future.
In addition, the letter expresses profound disappointment in the dismissal of Beutner, who has made an
immeasurable contribution to L.A. civic life during his decades of service to the community.
After many years of struggling through a series of financial and operational difficulties, Austin had
demonstrated in only eleven months that the Times was once again capable of impactful journalism and
meaningful community leadership, the letter says. Making such a drastic decision to terminate him
after he had served less than a year in that position is both curious and disappointing to us.
In addition to former Riordan, Villaraigosa and Kantor, the signatories on the letter are some of LAs
most prominent community and civic leaders, including LA County Business Federation founder David
Fleming, California Community Foundation CEO Antonia Hernandez, J. Paul Getty Trust Chair Maria
Hummer-Tuttle, Pastor Mark Whitlock, Los Angeles Urban League President Nolan Rollins, Former
California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and many others.
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