• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, April 13, 2009

The executive editor of the Los Angeles Times slammed the recent front-page ad for NBC's show "Southland" that looked like a news item, calling attention to a growing rift between the editorial and business sides of the newspaper.

The discord at the Times foreshadows increasing tension at American newspapers between editorial and advertising operations, as the former comes under pressure from the latter to bend, blur or simply break boundary rules.

In an interview with TheWrap, LAT Executive Editor John Arthur called the front-page ad for "Southland," which included a sidebar resembling an article, "horrible," "unfortunate" and "a mistake."

He added that it was "confusing," seeming to concede the deceptive intent of its format and placement. In the interview, Arthur also took issue with an ad for "The Soloist" that appeared to be a supplement using LA Times-style font from section fronts. More damning, Arthur indicated that both ads, which went beyond previously agreed boundaries, were run without his knowledge.

NBC said it was not trying to deceive readers with the "Southland" ad. The "story" appeared in smaller typeface than real articles, and was also marked as an ad. NBC credited the newspaper sales staff for coming to them with the idea. But the resemblance was close enough to raise red flags among the editorial staff. Before publication, a dozen editors demanded the ad be canceled or revised, according to the LAT's article on the controversy. The newspaper's top editor, Russ Stanton, also tried to get the ad withdrawn, later explaining: "There is not an editor in this nation -- including me -- who really wants to see something like that on the front page of his or her publication."

However, Publisher Eddy Hartenstein was frank: "Because of the times that we're in, we have to look at all sorts of different -- and some would say innovative -- new solutions for our advertising clients."

The conflict between editorial and business operations at the LAT has been long simmering. Last summer, the original Los Angeles Times monthly magazine was closed and replaced by a new publication, with a new editorial staff, entirely under the control of the Los Angeles Times Media Group. In short, control of the magazine came from the business -- not editorial -- side.

For ethical reasons, Stanton requested that the Media Group not call itself the Los Angeles Times Magazine, since it is not under the control of the newspaper's editorial staff. The new publication was given a slightly different name: L.A. Los Angeles Times Magazine. In a memo to employees last month, John T. O'Loughlin, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer for target media at the LAT Media Group, referred to the magazine as a "flagship publication" of the newspaper -- appearing to negate the earlier, mostly semantic distinction.