vol. 24, no. 21	April 23, 1999

David Laventhol, Former President of Times Mirror Co., Named Publisher of Columbia Journalism Review

BY KIM BROCKWAY

Long-time newspaper executive David Laventhol has been named publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), Journalism Dean Tom Goldstein has announced. Laventhol will succeed Joan Konner, who has been publisher since 1988, effective July 1.

Laventhol was the publisher of The Los Angeles Times, publisher and editor at Newsday, and president of the Times Mirror company during 30 years with the California-based media company. He remained a consultant to the company when he retired last summer.

"I am thrilled that David Laventhol, one of the giants of journalism, has agreed to take on the job of publishing CJR," Goldstein said. "We at Columbia and all those in the extended journalistic family are fortunate to have David at the helm as we deal with the challenges of the new century. He is an appropriate successor to Joan Konner, who almost single-handedly kept the magazine vibrant and on course for the past 11 years."

Laventhol said, "The Columbia Journalism Review is of unique importance to the media, a publication whose articles and ideas help define and shape the national journalistic agenda. The review has a remarkable record of performance over the past 38 years, a tribute to my predecessors and all who have worked on the magazine. I hope I can protect and enhance that heritage and make the review even more valuable in the context of the world of rapid change that today's journalists live in."

Laventhol has been an active member of the Journalism School's board of visitors for the past four years and received the Columbia Journalism School Award in 1994. He served as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize board and the International Press Institute. Last year, Times Mirror established the Times Mirror David Laventhol Chair at Columbia, currently held by Newsday's Les Payne.

Konner, a broadcast journalist who worked in commercial network television and in public television, served as CJR's publisher since 1988 and as the School's dean from 1988-1996. She will remain on the faculty.

CJR was founded in 1961 with a mission to improve and elevate journalism. Its editor is Marshall Loeb, former managing editor of Fortune and Money. Stories from the most recent print version of CJR are added regularly to its Web site, www.cjr.org.