Tully named publisher at San Jose

MediaNews today named Mac Tully, former publisher of the Kansas City Star, as publisher of the Mercury News.

Tully replaces Jeff Kiel, who in a message to the staff today said that his experience leading the Mercury News was "one I will remember fondly."

Tully also becomes Group Vice President of the Bay Area News Group, a newly created position overseeing the company's Bay Area newspapers, including the Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Marin Independent Journal and the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Tully becomes the third publisher at the Mercury News since it was purchased by MediaNews in 2006.

"Mac's wealth of experience in managing both groups of newspapers as well as in publishing large market newspapers will prove invaluable to our company," said William Dean Singleton, CEO of MediaNews. "This is a great newspaper and a great market," Tully said today. "The Bay Area has great opportunities." He said the newspaper industry will adapt to a changing market, but will survive. "We'll be leaner and meaner, but we'll be there," he said.

A veteran of Knight Ridder, the former parent company of the Mercury News, Tully rose through that company to become a corporate vice president before taking over as the Star's publisher in 2005.

He began his career at the Star in 1978 as a retail account executive. He later became vice president of advertising at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and was publisher of an edition of that paper, the Arlington,

Click on the headline to read Pete Carey’s article in the Mercury News. See January 28 post on Tully