Zell Not the 'Ultimate Villain' at 'L.A. Times'

It's tempting to blame Sam Zell for everything that's wrong -- terribly, terribly wrong -- with the Los Angeles Times today. But one Times refugee says the real estate mogul-turned-newspaper baron isn't the real problem.

"Sam Zell isn't the ultimate villain," writes William Lobdell, a Timesman of 18-year vintage, in a farewell blog post listing "42 Things I Know" about how the paper came to this pass.

"Though I originally thought [Zell] might be the kick in the ass we needed, I can't stand the guy," he adds. "But in the long run, he's just an accelerator for a downfall that is happening naturally.... For all his business acumen, Zell has allowed his executives to concentrate, at least publicly, on the stuff that needs the least fixing (editorial content and design). I'd argue that, for now, 100% of their effort should be given to increasing sales and readership -- in print and online."

Another thing Lobdell would change is the jazzy-to-the-point-of-parody leadership style of Zell's hand-picked "chief innovation officer." "I'd stop Lee Abrams from writing his dumb-ass memos that are supposed to inspire Tribune workers, but only serve to piss everyone off. It says something about Zell's leadership that scores of great journalists -- many wanting to embrace the future and lead the newspaper -- have voluntarily walked away from their jobs/careers while Mr. Abrams continues to pull down a large salary."

Read the rest of Lobdell's 42 things, including how he'd handle future layoffs, here (hat tip: LA Observed).