Ever since the Rocky Mountain News was put up for sale, John Temple, the tabloid's editor, publisher and president, has been the focus of much attention. Not so Greg Moore, editor of the Denver Post (seen here in a photo from several years back), who's stayed in the background even as reports surfaced about the rugged financial condition of the broadsheet's owner, Dean Singleton's MediaNews Group. However, Moore's name recently began circulating in regard to the editor's post at USA Today, a gig that officially opens up on February 1, when current chief Ken Paulson steps down.
Moore, communicating via BlackBerry, stresses that there's nothing to this buzz.
USA Today is owned by Gannett, which recently told employees at its assorted properties that they'd have to take a week off without pay as part of continuing cost-cutting measures. Nevertheless, the editor's position at the publication remains a big deal, and plenty of folks are wondering who'll land it. Included among that number: an anonymous commenter on Jim Hopkins' Gannett Blog, arguably the most comprehensive online source about inside doings at the company, who mentioned Moore in the following January 16 post:
Spotted at the Tyson's Ritz Carlton: Denver Post editor Greg Moore. As the nation's top black editor, and victor of the Denver battle, it would be an interesting move to see Moore take over USAT.
The commenter is referring to the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia, which is quite close to Gannett's corporate headquarters in nearby McLean, Virginia. It's the sort of place someone interviewing for a job at USA Today might logically stay. But Moore points out that there's a serious problem with this alleged scoop.
"I was not at Tysons Corner," he texts, adding that he has "not interviewed for the editor's job... have not talked to a soul." He adds that he is "amazed at such speculation."
That's understandable -- but also not such a bad thing. At a time when so many people in the journalism business are worried about the next job, it must be nice for Moore to know that he's seen as in-demand for one of the industry's top remaining positions.
