Latest editor at the News laid off
MexicoReporter | Jun 09, 2009 | Comments 3
The most recently appointed editor at the English language newspaper here in Mexico City the News has left the title after just a week in the job.
Malcolm Beith was appointed editor of the newspaper at the beginning of June following its sale by former owner Victor Hugo O’Farill to Grupo Mac. But Beith says that he was handed a check and shown the door yesterday.
“I was handed a check this morning for my week’s work — bear in mind that we were signed on to 30-day contracts, but I had yet to sign on because I am dealing with some other contract issues of my own — and sent on my way.”
It’s remains unclear whether Grupo Mac plans to continue producing original content for the News following their acquisition of the title, or whether they plan to publish translated reports from the group’s other media properties. There are currently only two reporters employed by the News, and in today’s issue of the newspaper there is one original report, the rest is wire copy.
Either way, it’s not a decision Beith will have to deal with. Although he stressed in his email that he was let go very professionally, it’s unlikely that his editorial when the New changed hands went unnoticed, in which he lambasted both the former newspaper’s owner as well as Mexico in general, saying:
“There are ways of treating employees that Mexico must learn if it truly wants to be a member of the OECD and not be perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a third-world backwater.”
But Beith said in relation to his dismissal: “No bitterness, for the record, they handled the exit very professionally (after all, legally they didn’t have to pay me a dime, but they paid me for the week anyway). I wish all my colleagues the best of luck,” said Beith via email to MexicoReporter.com last night.
Before the News changed hands, Beith was the national editor and had been with the newspaper since it launched in late 2007. Brian Rausch will replace Beith as the new editor of the News.
– Deborah Bonello for MexicoReporter.com
*edited at 12pm Mexico City time. Blake Lalonde is not the acting editor of the News – he got in touch to tell us he turned the position down. Stay tuned.
*edited at 12:20pm Mexico City time. Brian Rausch is the new editor of the News.
Filed Under: ciudad de mexico • editorial • journalism • media • mexico • mexicoreporter.com • newspapers • police
brian rausch and all of The News staff quit today leaving the paper to be run and edited by people that can’t even speak English and have minimal experience. The editing position is given to Ricardo Castillo who was fired a number of times by the previous News for ethical reasons and poor work. He is not a native speaker but speaks English with some fluency.
Contrary to Malcolm’s professional comments Grupo Mac has not acted professionally in any way towards their employees. Not even 10 minutes after Beithe resigned professionally, they sent security up to the 5th floor to meet him while he was grabbing his stuff and to escort him out.
Word has it that they offered the editor position to a number of people with the clause take the position or take a hike. They all chose to take a hike.
[...] we reported a couple of weeks ago, Brian Rausch was the most recent editor of the newspaper following the dismissal of Malcolm Beith – who was the first to sit in the [...]
I am an old friend of Malcom Beith’s and would like to email him please pass my email address onto him and ask him to put me on his email list
thank you
Michael g