Post-Dispatch managing editor resigns

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch announced that managing editor Pam Maples has resigned; her last day will be Aug. 18. Editor Arnie Robbins said she will not be replaced. Maples has been at the paper for nearly three years.

In a note to the staff, Maples said she did not know what she would be doing, but she will be working on projects for the newspaper for the next few months. Robbins said one of those projects will be researching paid online models, which prompted some Post-Dispatch commenters to ask if the paper will be switching to a paid model. Although there is been a moderator's note on another comment, there has not yet been an answer to that question.

(Via e-mail)

Post-Dispatch reporter arrested at rally

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jake Wagman was arrested Thursday night while covering a town hall meeting at a middle school in Mehlville, Mo. Five others also were arrested during a demonstration outside the school. Wagman was shooting video at the time, and recorded his arrest. (The video is not embeddable.) He was released a few hours later; the county counselor will decide on charges for all six who were arrested.

Post-Dispatch editor Arnie Robbins issued a statement Friday:

"In arresting our reporter, we think the police overreacted and were over-zealous. While we understand that police have difficult jobs and were in a volatile situation, we hope they understand that reporters, too, have difficult jobs and were in a volatile situation."

Lee, St. Louis Newspaper Guild continue negotiations

The St. Louis Newspaper Guild has posted an update on contract negotiations between Lee and guild members at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The union says tentative agreements have been reached on grievance time limits and intern use.

The current contract expired in June. When negotiations started, Lee was asking for a 23 percent wage cut from union members.

Daily News publisher takes job in California

Former Longview Daily News publisher Linda Lindus has been named publisher two MediaNews Group newspapers in California, the Daily Breeze in Torrence and the Long Beach Press-Telegram in Long Beach. Her last day at the Daily News is Aug. 14.

Lindus joined Lee in 2000 as publisher of the Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, Ill.

Montana papers refuse to run union ad

Five Lee papers in Montana refused to run an ad from the United Food and Commercial Workers. Ten other Montana papers ran the ad, which asked readers to call for insurance information. UFCW doesn't sell insurance; it does offer coverage to union members. (Lee has made its anti-union stance pretty well known. Last year it launched Lee Union Free.)

Billings Blog has more on the article that the Butte Weekly (which does not have a website) wrote about the incident, including a very short interview with the publisher of the Helena Independent-Record and Montana Standard.

(Via e-mail)

2 Lee papers 'do it right'

The Sioux City Journal in Sioux City, Iowa, and The Post-Star in Glens Falls, N.Y., are on Editor and Publisher's annual list of "10 That Do it Right."

The Sioux City Journal was included for giving readers something to talk about.

"When Editor Mitch Pugh arrived at the Lee Enterprises-owned Journal in 2007, he focused the 32-person newsroom on giving readers 'something to talk about' in the paper and online," the magazine reported.

Lee campaign to reverse 'irrational negativity' about newspapers

You've seen the "First. Best. Today. Tomorrow." logo, right? It's been around for awhile. There's a version on this year's "prayer card."

One of the things I ignored in CEO Mary Junck's letter to stockholders was her mention of the "First. Best. Today. Tomorrow." campaign. Junck said there is a "continuing, irrational negativity about the future of newspapers," and Lee is fighting back with the "First. Best. Today. Tomorrow." Junck said the company-wide campaign will be locally tailored.

There are actually stories out there about this:

• Editor & Publisher
• Editor's Weblog

A closer look at Form 8-K

Want a closer look at Lee's earnings report? Here's Form 8-K, which is required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. It includes a letter from CEO Mary Junck, who says the company's "streamlining of costs" is on track.

"Thanks in part to 22 percent reductions in the third quarter, we expect to reduce full-year 2009 cash costs, excluding unusual items, about 17 percent below 2008, a decrease of nearly $140 million. Among our many cost actions, we have completed page width reduction across the company, realigned staffing and consolidated or outsourced printing and distribution in several more locations."

Money spent on newsprint and ink has dropped -- 41.4 percent in the last fiscal quarter. Compensation is down 22.4 percent in the last quarter, and 18.3 percent from a year ago. Circulation is down 6.3 percent in the last quarter, and 4.9 percent from a year ago.

The letter also points out that the previously voted on and approved reverse stock split will not take place. (Which is one of those things that happened while this blog was on hiatus.)

You can also see Lee's other SEC filings.