• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 13, 2008

Scott C. Smith, the publisher of the Chicago Tribune, is leaving the newspaper, according to an internal memo that was first reported by the Associated Press. Smith is resigning as part of the general shakeup initiated by the Tribune Co.'s new owner, Sam Zell. According to the report, Smith said he agreed with the company's new management that it was time to step down.

News of Smith's departure comes at the end of a turbulent week for the Tribune Co. On June 6th, the new management team announced a policy that each newspaper will henceforth include no more than 50% editorial content, and no less than 50% advertising.

Tribune's new COO, Randy Michaels, said this would allow significant reductions in newsroom staff, as well as cost savings in printing and distribution.

Then, on Tuesday it became public that management was closing the Los Angeles Times Magazine, with a plan already in motion to create a new monthly publication under the control of the newspaper's ad sales staff. When informed of the plan, Los Angeles Times' editor Russ Stanton asked that the new publication not be called by the same name, since it would no longer be under editorial control.