Independent publisher named head of Times Community News

Staff reports

Independent and Daily Pilot Publisher Tom Johnson on Friday was

appointed general manager of Times Community News.

He will oversee the Los Angeles Times division’s five newspapers,

which include the Burbank Leader, Foothill Leader, Glendale News-Press

and the Pilot, which covers Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, as well as the

Independent.

“These newspapers have long histories in their communities and a

strong readership base,” said Jeff Johnson, senior vice president and

general manager of the Los Angeles Times. “Tom Johnson is a highly

talented executive with extensive experience publishing community

newspapers. We are confident that he will do an outstanding job

maximizing the potential of this newspaper group.”

Tom Johnson, 47, has been publisher of the Independent and Pilot since

1993. He is vice president of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, and a

board member of the Hoag Hospital 552 Club, Newport Beach Conference and

Visitors Bureau, Orange Coast College Foundation, Costa Mesa Senior

Center and the Huntington Beach Union High School District Educational

Enrichment Foundation.

“I think this bodes well for the Los Angeles Times’ commitment to

community news,” he said. “They’re obviously happy with what we’re doing

here at the Independent and Daily Pilot and are anxious to do it at other

places.”

He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State.