Austin Beutner to the staff at the U-T San Diego

Colleagues—

It’s my pleasure to announce that Tribune Publishing Co. has agreed to acquire The San Diego Union-Tribune. When the transaction closes, I will be the publisher of the Union-Tribune in addition to the Los Angeles Times. We will plan to welcome the Union-Tribune, our neighbors to the south, to the newly formed California News Group, for which I serve as publisher and CEO.

Today begins a new era at The San Diego Union-Tribune and a recommitment to providing independent journalism.

The Union-Tribune, which traces its roots back 146 years, has a distinguished history and long tradition of providing a great service to both its readers and advertisers, and that will not change. Over generations, talented journalists have dedicated themselves to engaging and informing this community – and won four Pulitzer Prizes in the process.

In joining efforts with your neighbors to the north, the Union-Tribune will become an integral part of the California News Group. As such, the Union-Tribune will continue to be a destination for trusted journalism, delivering essential news, analysis and commentary that engages all viewpoints. I also know the Los Angeles Times will benefit from a closer connection to its older sibling down south.

As we begin this new era, we will be trying new things. We’ll be looking for ways to benefit from our size and scale, while fiercely protecting the local, independent editorial voice. Some things will work; some won’t, but we’ll learn from all of them. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the Union-Tribune is around 146 years from now. And I hope we can also have a bit of fun along the way.

I look forward to working with you.
Austin Beutner

Publisher and CEO
California News Group