USA TODAY: …Judge Patricia McInerney, ruling in a suit filed by one faction of the paper’s dueling owners against the other, said that under the terms of the paper’s Limited Liability Agreement, the hiring of the editor was considered a business rather than an editorial decision. Therefore, she ruled, the publisher didn’t have the right to oust him…
It is unusual if not unprecedented for a court to get involved in newspaper personnel decisions. But the bitterly divided and combative ownership situation at Interstate General Media, which also owns the Philadelphia Daily News and the website philly.com, is nothing if not unusual. The judge tried unsuccessfully to mediate the rancorous dispute before issuing her ruling…
In her decision, McInerney cited testimony that the hiring and firing of an editor is traditionally seen as an “editorial or journalistic” matter. But since the Limited Liability Agreement gives that power to the management committee, she had no choice but to bring back Marimow. She added that she was nevertheless “disturbed” that the agreement gave such power to the management committee… (more)
