Mancini Quits as Editor of Newsday; Krenek Takes Top Post

John Mancini had stepped down after five years as Newsday's editor, and Debby Krenek had taken his place.

Krenek also becomes executive vice president of digital media with oversight of Newsday.com. She was managing editor and senior vice president of digital media.
Krenek started with Newsday in 2001 as associate editor for special projects after serving as editor of the Daily News.

Here is the memo from Publisher Terry Jimenez:

Dear fellow Newsday employees,

After five years as our editor and 20 years with our company, John Mancini has informed us of his decision to leave Newsday. John's tenure here has been marked by many distinguished achievements, as he has skillfully guided our newsroom through one of the most challenging times in the history of the newspaper industry. He will be missed.

John has been responsible for leading a team that has delivered outstanding news products. With both our print and interactive media, his innovations in design and presentation, his courage and insight with regard to special coverage, and his overall leadership of our news team, day in and day out, have been exceptional. He has kept Newsday focused on what matters most to Long Islanders with coverage of issues such as the wasteful abuses of the state pension system and special taxing districts; the impact of Alzheimer's on Long Island families and the Long Island Railroad gap, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

In addition to overseeing some of Newsday's best journalism, John also helped us to adapt to a swiftly changing media landscape. The paper’s home delivery circulation growth and strong readership penetration are testaments not only to his abilities as an editor, but also as a thoughtful, skilled executive. John has agreed to stay on as a consultant to assist me with a number of special projects.

Debby joined Newsday in 2001 as associate editor for special projects, following a successful career at New York Daily News, which included a 3-year run as editor in chief. During the past eight years, she has worked her way through Newsday’s ranks and was most recently responsible for leading the development and launch of newsday.com’s pioneering Web model.

I know each of you will join me in thanking John for his many contributions, and in applauding Debby on her exciting new role.

A letter from John to his staff and a press release announcing Debby’s appointment are attached.

Sincerely,

Terry

Here's Mancini's note to staff:

TO: Newsroom staff

FROM: John Mancini

It has been an honor and a privilege to work with you over the past five years as editor.

Now, I have decided to leave Newsday to pursue new opportunities.

Please accept my deepest thanks for your dedication, support and friendship over the many years I have been lucky enough to work at the paper.

One of the editorial staff's great strengths is resilience. The challenges are daily, your goals are ambitious and the product of your labor is vital to our readers. You have yet to fail them.

I ask that you continue to aim high and do all you can to help the newsroom's leaders in the coming weeks and months.

I leave Newsday with hope for the future but also much sadness.

It is no exaggeration to say you have meant the world to each of us who had the great good fortune to occupy the editor's chair.

Mancini Back at the Helm as Newsday editor

James T. Madore of Newsday writes this afternoon that he does indeed have a boss, and that boss is John Mancini. It appears that Mancini and executives with Cablevision, the owner of the Long Island newspaper, have patched their differences.

A dispute between Newsday's top editor John Mancini and owner Cablevision Systems Corp. over editorial content appeared to have been resolved Tuesday, when he returned to the newspaper's Melville headquarters.

Mancini, speaking to newsroom staff, said his absence since Wednesday "was due to a difference of opinion with ownership over the editorial policy of Newsday. That has been settled."

He declined to offer details of the dispute, but said: "No one outside the newsroom influences . . . our news coverage in any way." He added there would be "no change in direction. Our only concern is that we get it right. Let's do our jobs and tell the story straight."

Mancini acknowledged his disagreement with Cablevision executives had grown heated. When asked whether the words "you're fired" or "I quit" were used, he said "words to that effect were uttered."

Rumors have circulated that Cablevision was angry about coverage of a sex harassment lawsuit filed against Eddy Curry of the New York Knicks; the team also is owned by the Bethpage-based cable operator. Mancini declined to comment when asked whether Knicks' coverage sparked the dispute.

He said he had decided not to return to the newsroom "until I had clarity that the editor was expected to perform his job as he had done."

When asked when he got clarity, he said "this morning."

He said Publisher Timothy P. Knight and Cablevision had been supportive of his stance.

Mancini said he felt the disagreement had produced an "understanding" of the need for newsroom independence. He also said Newsday's coverage is "valued at the highest levels" of Cablevision. "They said they liked the paper."

NY Post: Newsday's Mancini, Henley Not at Work; Is Krenek Next Editor?

Keith J. Kelly of the New York Post is writing today that Newsday Editor John Mancini and Managing Editor Deborah Henley have not reported for work for the fifth straight day, fueling speculation that Cablevision has fired the duo. The story did note that Managing Editor Debby Krenek is Mancini's likely successor, and has been in meetings at the Melville office.

"It's bizarre," said one insider, who was left wondering who's in charge ahead of today's coverage of the history-making inauguration of Barack Obama as president.

Added another insider, "If any of the top editors know what's going on, they're not telling anyone."

Meanwhile, Debby Krenek, another managing editor, was seen in the paper's Melville, LI, offices after being absent Thursday and Friday.

Her presence yesterday fueled speculation that Krenek, who's primarily in charge of Newsday's online edition, might be tapped by owner Cablevision to replace Mancini.

"She's here, but she's in a meeting," said a person answering Krenek's office phone.

There has been no confirmation or comment of any kind from Newsday and Cablevision officials.

Rumors Abound About Status of Newsday Editor Mancini, Top MEs

Newsday's James T. Madore wrote today that Cablevision and Newsday officials would not comment on the status of editor John Mancini, and managing editors Deborah Henley and Debby Krenek. Whether the three were still employed was the subject of a story by Keith J. Kelly in Sunday's New York Post that was based on unnamed sources and speculation.

The gist of the Post story is this:

"Nobody knows what's going on," an insider said. "At first, we just assumed [the meeting] meant more layoffs, because advertising was off by 40 percent last quarter."

A rumor making the rounds had the Dolans furious over Newsday's coverage of a sexual-harassment suit filed against Knick center Eddy Curry by his former chauffeur. Cablevision, which owns the Knicks, the Rangers and Madison Square Garden, bought Newsday from the Tribune Company last July for $650 million.

When Mancini, Henley and Krenek failed to show up for work Thursday and Friday - as papers scrambled to cover the US Airways crash in the Hudson River - it ignited speculation that they were summoned to Cablevision offices Thursday and asked to justify their jobs.

Adding to the intrigue, Mancini's office had been cleared out by Friday morning. And by last night, voicemail was not connecting to any of the top three editors.

At least the Post was able to quoted "a rumor making the rounds." Madore's story responded with this:

But newsroom sources told Newsday that Henley was involved in the coverage Thursday of the US Airways plane downed in the Hudson River, and another source said Krenek was in New York City for scheduled meetings.

Voice mails for the three editors were back on yesterday after a wider outage had been corrected. Their names also continued to appear on the masthead.

Yesterday, Cablevision spokesman Charles Schueler referred questions to Newsday spokeswoman Deidra Parrish Williams, who declined to comment. Mancini would not address any questions. Publisher Timothy P. Knight, Henley and Krenek did not return telephone messages left for them.

Once again, no sources were quoted by name, which in itself isn't a ringing endorsement. I'd hate to see Mancini go. One, on a personal level, we worked side-by-side at Newsday for years (he did rise much higher in the organization than I did!), and I always liked the guy. But on a professional level, he's one of the best in the game. He can get to the root of any story, especially a New York story, and he knows what readers want and need. It would be a shame if he lost his job because he stepped on Cablevision's toes over the Curry story. If it is the case, the three of them are better off leaving.