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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is planning to launch an expanded Illinois edition and has announced openings for 10 new positions. The move, however, is being denied by its publisher, Nicholas G. Penniman IV. Instead, Penniman confirms that the paper will undergo some substantial changes in early 1993. Among these changes are the transfer of the News Analysis page to the inside pages, the subdivision of the St. Louis page, or page 3A, between national and international stories and the creation of a local news section front.

Foster Davis is slated to become the 18th managing director of the St Louis Post-Dispatch. After being by-passed twice by imported managing directors, the Bowdoin College graduate will have a chance to help the staff of the Post achieve its potential. Davis's desire to become a journalist sprang from his need to tell stories. He began his newspaper career at the Delta-Democrat Times in Greenville, MO, and was a CBS news correpondent in Vietnam. Davis is known for his gentleness, sense of humanity and ability to delegate responsibility.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch editor William F. Woo has initiated the unprecedented practice of publicly selecting a new managing editor to replace David Lipman, now chairman of the Pulitzer/2000. The search is being conducted by a committee composed of various staff members and includes publicized biographies of candidates and open interviews. The six final candidates are Post Deputy Managing Editor Ron Willnow, Asst Managing Editor Richard K. Weil, Jr, Exec City Editor Laszlo Domjan, Los Angeles Daily News Managing Editor Jane Amari, Charlotte Observer Asst Managing Editor Foster Davis and Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Managing Editor Mary Jo Meisner.

Four years ago this month, SJR revealed that a front-page photograph of a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer had been altered by editors at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The can of Diet [...]

Gregory B. Freeman, a journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, copied another columnist's words into his column on Jun 8, 1993. Freeman claims that he thought he was taking the words from a wire services to which the post subscribes, but the words actually came from a column by Derrick Z. Jackson of the Boston Globe. Freeman's column, like Jackson's column, was about the withdrawal of Lani Guinier as a Justice Department appointee.

The St Louis Post-Dispatch will investigate a series of brain-tumor deaths among its newsroom employees. Five have died in ten years, the latest being Cathie Burnes Beebe on May 15, 1993. In 1991 the St Louis Newspaper Guild requested that the newspaper investigate the series of deaths; when the paper declined, it asked the state to pursue the matter. The state claimed that it could investigate only if the paper's management requested. Now the issue will be explored by an epidemiologist and an expert in electromagnetism brought in by the paper.

Many comic strips are following a trend that allows comic strip characters to deal with some of the more serious real life. This means trying to avoid stereotypesin order to be realistic. An example is Lynn Johnston's 'For Better of For Worse' which had one of its characters admit his homosexuality. However, for many cartoonists, social relevance must be balanced with considerations for thesensibilities of a diverse readership. In addition, older strips such as 'Peanuts' continue to reflect a simpler view of life despite the trend of dealing with important issues currently prevailing in the industry.

An overhaul of the city desk at St. Louis Post Dispatch is being planned, despite the postponement of the newspaper's expansion into Illinois. The probable changes that will result in the reorganization of the city desk include more enterprise work for reporters, redefinition of news coverage, the realignment of city desk editors and the dispersal of the workload. The features department will also undergo a few changes.

The St. LouisPost Dispatch's expansion to Illinois has been deferred until after the 1993 operating budgets of the newspaper's departments have undergone an intensive review. The postponement came as a surprise to many, including the paper's editor William F. Woo. Woo announced the planned expansion to the staff but hadto retract his announcement a few weeks later, after Post publisher Nicholas G.Penniman told him that the expansion move is being hampered by economic reasons.

Television journalists are aware of the political strategies that an incumbent president employs in a reelection bid but they still attend invitations to cover one-on-one interviews. These invitations are distributed to competing stations and networks and journalists are sent to cover the event if only for the sake of having what the other stations have. More importantly, proper decorum dictates that refusing an invitation from the nation's incumbent president is simply not done.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Managing Editor David Lipman has been relieved of his post and reassigned to head a long-term planning group called Pulitzer/2000. Lipman was succeeded by colleague William F. Woo. This management turnover was followed by the usual speculation about a power struggle that had all the necessary ingredients of conspiracy and controversy in a trade where sensationalism and intrigue are considered a part of life.

Rod Zimmerman has replaced Robert Hyland as general manager of KMOX-AM radio station in St. Louis, MO. Zimmerman, whose interest in radio was sparked while he was attending the Southern Illinois University, feels that locally oriented community-based radio can generate creative programs. The station, which Zimmerman believes reflective of the MidWest, has been traditionally strong in sports broadcasting and he intends to maintain the distinction. Zimmerman further intends to know local issues and become involved in the community.

The 'St. Louis Post-Dispatch' is being downsized for economic reasons. Publisher Nicholas G. Penniman IV implied that the budget for the 1990s is being cut. Meanwhile, the newspaper is making no move to replace reporters who leave for better jobs. Both Penniman and Exec City Editor Laszlo Domjan are noncommittal on the number of staffers the newspaper should ideally have. Bureau chief Terry Ganey is positive, however, that the newspaper staff will not be increased.

Editors, news directors feared coverage would turn off public Veteran television anchor Don Marsh often uses the same statistic when he tries to explain the way TV doesn't cover politics: [...]

When Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. rocked St. Louis in late October with the news that the St. Louis Cardinals and a chunk of downtown that includes Busch Stadium were for sale, [...]

Relationship experts say there's always hope as long as both sides keep talking. If that's true, fans of Elaine Viets may be able to read their favorite column in the [...]

A grand jury investigation of personnel at KMOV-TV, Channel 4 in St. Louis, MO, has begun. The station personnel are being investigated for filming a Catholic priest hiring a prostitute, whom the station had flown into St. Louis for the express purpose of soliciting the priest. If the grand jury finds adequate evidence, Channel 4 personnel could be charged with promoting prostitution, a class D felony in Missouri. The prosecution of Channel 4 has made people in the television business more wary of breaking the law.

Different newspapers portrayed varied reactions towards the controversial homosexual issue of the comic strip 'For Better or For Worse.' The St. Louis Post-Dispatch chose to continue running the strip despite the controversy while the Belleville News-Democrat opted for substitute material. The Sedalia Democrat on the other hand, decided to cancel the strip outright since it viewed the story as too controversial for the paper's conservative community. Despite this, however, 1,400 clients continue to claim support for Lynn Johnston's comic strip.

The impropriety of using information which a source asked not to be printed is analyzed. This crucial issue in journalism ethics is illustrated by the case of St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Phil Dine and source Maureen McMillan. McMillan has claimed that her job was placed on the line when Dine failed to protect her as his source. The question of whether standards of confidentiality differ when it is the reporter who contacted the source and when the source volunteered the information is raised.

Selection of the managing editor of the St Louis Post-Dispatch to succeed David Lipman involved the assistance of the newsroom staff. A committee was formed headed by editor William F. Woo that proceeded to whittle down the 15-person list through essays and interviews. The choice was narrowed to editor Dick Weil and outsider Foster Davis at which point Woo made the final decision. Davis was chosen after careful deliberation.

Editorial staff changes in the St. Louis Magazine may largely be responsible for the magazine's 10,000 drop in circulation to 23,500 and over a $350,000 drop in advertising and circulation revenues from 1990 to 1991. Exec Editor Steve Friedman and Senior Editor Joe Bargmann, along with three other full-time employees were fired after a staff meeting in Jun 10, 1992 with American City Business Journals of Charlotte, NC, executives. The magazine is currently headed by Editor Tom Rami who is described by Bargmann as inept and disgraceful to journalism.

If the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a profit margin of 22 percent you wouldn't be reading about a management shakeup in this issue of SJR. But a number that would [...]

The portico of the stately home on the grounds of an exclusive suburban St. Louis county club is far from the hustle and bustle of London where Lord Mackay of [...]