After nearly 30 years as chairman of The Copley Press Inc., Helen K. Copley announced her retirement April 26. Succeeding her is her son, David C. Copley. Since 1997, David Copley, 49, has been president and chief executive officer of the company established in 1905 by his grandfather. Helen Copley, 78, took the helm of the company in 1973 when her husband, James S. Copley, died. Copley newspapers won two Pulitzer prizes while she was in charge. Helen Copley will stay on the board of directors as an active member and trustee of the family trusts that control the company stock. On April 30, Knight Ridder promoted Jim Crutchfield, general manager of the Akron Beacon Journal, to the post of president and publisher. Crutchfield, whose appointment took effect immediately, replaced John L. Dotson Jr. , who retired. Crutchfield, 53, was managing editor of the Akron Beacon Journal from 1989 to 1993, then became executive editor of the Long Beach (Calif.) Press-Telegram from 1993 to 1997. In 1998, Crutchfield served as assistant to the publisher of Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc., and as director of single copy sales and distribution in 1999 before returning to Akron in January 2000 as general manager. Ike Massey, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News and chief executive officer of the parent Los Angeles Newspaper Group, announced his resignation on May 1. Replacing him will be John Schueler, publisher of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis for the past three years. Elaine Kramer, former editor of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pa., joined the Orlando Sentinel in June as managing editor. For the past year, Kramer, an award-winning reporter and editor, led a newsroom of more than 200 journalists at the Tribune-owned Morning Call. As managing editor of the 260,000-circulation Sentinel, Kramer oversees the routine news operations and all editorial content except the opinion pages. In addition to Kramer’s departure, The Morning Call saw a few more changes in the spring. Susan Hunt, vice president/general manager of Sun-Sentinel Company, was named president, publisher and CEO of the Allentown, Pa., newspaper. At The Morning Call, Hunt replaces Guy Gilmore, who became the newspaper’s publisher in April 2000. Television journalist David Brinkley’s name was added the Walk of Fame in his hometown of Wilmington, N.C., according to The Associated Press. “I’m not sure I deserve it, but I’ll take it,” Brinkley said to the crowd of more than 400 as he was awarded a plaque that matched the ceremonial sidewalk stone May 12. Brinkley, 80, spent the first 21 years of his life in Wilmington and started his journalism career with a job at the Morning Star. After working for the United Press and for NBC radio in the 1940s, he became one of television news’ first pioneers. He stopped regularly appearing on ABC in 1997. CNN Headline News anchor Lynne Russell, one of the first anchors appearing on CNN Headline News, resigned on May 18. An 18-year veteran of the network, Russell announced that she was resigning for personal reasons. “I need a mellower time now,” Russell told the Atlanta Journal and Constitution on May 16. “I need to do something else. It’s been 18 years of beat the clock.” Russell, 54, said. May was a month that saw many personnel changes at Sacramento, Calif.-based McClatchy Co., which owns the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and other newspapers. Gary Pruitt was promoted to chairman of McClatchy Co. In addition to his new role, Pruitt, 43, will continue to serve as president and chief executive of the company. He replaces Erwin Potts, who will remain on the board after serving six years as chairman. The leadership change was announced at McClatchy’s annual meeting in May in Sacramento. In his presentation to shareholders, Pruitt said McClatchy will “make lemonade out of this lemon of an economic environment” by continuing to increase revenue and control expenses. “We have no plans for layoffs, and that is in stark contrast to most of our peers,” he said. McClatchy Co. announced two promotions at its South Carolina newspapers on May 23. Jim Cato, editor of The Beaufort Gazette, assumes the additional title of publisher. Cato will accept the new title on July 2, when Publisher John Heath retires. Sara Borton, publisher of The Island Packet in Hilton Head, has been given the additional title of director of Lowcountry operations, which includes the Hilton Head and Beaufort papers. Cato, 55, has led the Gazette’s newsroom since 1980. Also on May 23, John Schueler, publisher of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis for the past three years, resigned his position. Robert Weil, vice president of operations for the McClatchy Co., will replace Schueler on an interim basis. A successor is expected to be chosen by the end of the summer. Tampa Tribune president and publisher Reid Ashe was promoted to the post of Media General’s president and chief operating officer on May 18. Ashe began his new job on July 1. The Richmond-based communications company also announced that Marshall N. Morton, senior vice president and chief financial officer, will add the role of vice chairman to his responsibilities. The San Francisco Chronicle announced in May that it had selected five editors to fill top positions at the daily. Narda Zacchino, 54, was promoted to senior editor after more than three decades reporting and editing for the Los Angeles Times. Andrew Ross, 55, Salon.com’s co-founder and its first managing editor, was named associate editor of content. Kenn Altine, 39, was named editor of the Sunday Chronicle. Mi-Ai Parrish, 30, The Arizona Republic’s Sunday editor before becoming deputy managing editor for features, was named associate editor of the Sunday Chronicle. Kenneth Howe, 50, was named business editor. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s new metro editor is Rita Hibbard, a longtime journalist with an extensive reporting and editing background. Hibbard, 47, oversees the P-I’s news-gathering efforts at local, state and regional levels. She replaces Kathleen Best, who had held the job since late 1996, but recently was named assistant managing editor for metro news at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Burl Osborne, publisher of The Dallas Morning News, retired in June and was replaced by James M. Moroney III, the newspaper’s parent company Belo announced May 24. Moroney, 44, also became chief executive at the Morning News. Robert W. Mong Jr. , 52, was promoted to president and editor, a title Osborne held before he became the newspaper’s publisher in 1991. Osborne, 63, who was given the title of publisher emeritus, will stay on the company’s board of directors until next year and chair The Belo Foundation. William “Butch” Ward, managing editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, accepted a buyout package and will be replaced by the paper’s deputy managing editor, Phillip Dixon. Dixon, 49, will assume his new role in mid-July, when Ward officially departs. Terms of the buyout package weren’t disclosed. The New York Times experienced some significant leadership changes in late May and June, starting with the retirement of executive editor Joseph Lelyveld. Lelyveld, who is leaving in September, will be replaced by editorial page editor Howell Raines, the newspaper announced May 21. Managing editor Bill Keller, 52, who had also been considered a candidate to succeed Lelyveld, agreed on June 19 to leave the post he’s held for four years and become an op-ed columnist and writer for The New York Times Magazine when Raines takes over the newsroom. Catherine Mathis, a spokeswoman for the Times, told The Associated Press that Keller will stay on as managing editor until his replacement is named. Meanwhile, Raines’ successor will be Times columnist Gail Collins, who will become the newspaper’s first female editorial page editor.