Hiller disputed the notion that O’Shea had been fired, saying that his departure was part of a bigger reorganization plan. O’Shea reportedly refused to concede to $4 million in budget cuts. Speaking to the newsroom, O'Shea reaffirmed that he had been pushed out and said:

"This company, indeed, this industry, must invest more in solid, relevant journalism. We must integrate the speed and agility of the Internet with the news judgment and editorial values of the newsroom, values that are more important than ever as the hunger for news continues to surge and gossip pollutes the information atmosphere."

The LA Times editorial staff has shrunk from about 1,200 to less than 9,00 in the last eight years, as its circulation dipped from more than one million copies to about 800,000 copies.

"It's a continuing cause for concern, both for the quality and reporting in the paper and for what it says about long-term prospects," said George Kieffer, head of the Los Angeles Civic Alliance.

Kieffer is also “one of 20 prominent Angelenos who wrote to Tribune in 2006, urging the company not to make cuts that could force The Times out of "the top ranks of American journalism," reported the LA Times.

"How do you continue to cover the community and provide civic education with these continuing cuts in resources?" Kieffer said.

Media analyst and Follow the Media writer Philip Stone chimed in:

“To Lose One Editor Decrying Budget Cuts Is Understandable; To Lose Two Is Sloppy, But To Lose Three Such Editors In Three Years Is Just Plain Tragic,” read his article’s headline.

Source: Los Angeles Times – Follow the Media - LA Observed