AP Wire via philly.com, April 12

Ex-Philadelphia Inquirer editor Naughton joins firm bidding for newspapers

The Philadelphia Inquirer's former executive editor was named an adviser to a Los Angeles-based investment firm seeking to buy newspapers that The McClatchy Co. wants to shed in its takeover of Knight Ridder Inc.

James M. Naughton will serve as a senior news and editorial adviser to Yucaipa Cos., the firm announced April 11 in a statement.

Yucaipa is backing a bid by the Newspaper Guild-CWA, a union that represents workers at most of the affected papers, for the 12 publications, including the San Jose Mercury News and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I'm very pleased to assist the Yucaipa Companies in demonstrating their commitment to journalism of high standards in the communities they seek to serve," Naughton said in a statement.

Beside being The Inquirer's former executive editor, Naughton is a former New York Times correspondent and a retired president of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.

The McClatchy Co. has accepted offers for newspapers that it doesn't want to keep after its $4.5 billion takeover of fellow publisher Knight Ridder Inc. The auction could last several months.

Yucaipa, run by billionaire Ron Burkle, has completed mergers and acquisitions valued at more than $30 billion since its founding in 1986.

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