Phila editor steps down

Amanda Bennett, the editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, stepped down yesterday and was succeeded by William K. Marimow, a former Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter for The Inquirer and top news executive with NPR. He takes over as the newspaper faces layoffs, sinking advertising revenue and declining circulation.

Brian P. Tierney, who acquired the paper early in the summer, said in an interview that while Ms. Bennett was “loyal and hard working,” he wanted his own team in place. He said he had been discussing the situation with her for several months and concluded that “in terms of where I wanted to go, she wasn’t the best fit.”

At the same time, Mr. Marimow, 59, had come to Mr. Tierney’s attention. Mr. Marimow had written him a note in August to say that if Mr. Tierney were ever looking for a new editor, he would like to be considered. The note went astray, both men said, and Mr. Tierney never saw it. But a mutual friend put them in touch, and they began to talk.

Then last month, Mr. Marimow lost his job as NPR’s vice president for news and became the radio network’s ombudsman. At that point, Mr. Tierney said, “I saw an opportunity to step up the pace of our conversations and Amanda was winding down.”

Ms. Bennett, 54, said in an interview, “It came time to go and it was right for everybody.” She said she was sad but relieved, because of the “relentless pressures” on the newspaper industry, but with Mr. Marimow, “the paper is in good hands.”

Click on headline to read full story by Mike Mergen in the New York Times.