Media publication says Manchester might sell

The publication Nieman Journalism Lab, in a Ken Doctor article published yesterday (April 2), says that Southern California could be the epicenter of big changes in the newspaper industry.

One reason, says Doctor, is that "In San Diego, word on the business street, now rebounding among a number of daily publishers around the country, is that the ownership of the San Diego Union-Tribune, now renamed U-T San Diego, wants out. That's right: Rumor has it that flamboyant owner Papa Doug Manchester ... wants to sell. His sometimes [chief executive officer] John Lynch has been assigned the task of finding a buyer, that rumor says. Lynch has previously talked publicly about wanting to buy more papers."

When another executive was named to handle day-to-day leadership at the U-T, Lynch, while retaining the chief executive title, was said to be working on an acquisition. That could have been taken two ways — and was by some people.

Given the excitement and uncertainty at the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register, and some other papers, Southern California could be the big news in the news business, says Doctor.

(Full disclosure: I was one of the persons interviewed by Doctor and said it was possible that Manchester wants to sell. I have said that before on my blog.)