Axe Falls on SF Weekly Editor

By Luke Thomas

January 19, 2013

It didn’t take long for the axe to fall following the January 9 Village Voice Media sale of the award-winning SF Weekly newspaper.

SF Weekly editor Tom Walsh was terminated with immediate effect Thursday, confirmed publisher Todd Vogt, co-owner of the San Francisco Newspaper Company, the parent company that previously added the SF Examiner daily in 2011 and the SF Bay Guardian weekly in 2012 to its ever-expanding publications portfolio.

“We never share specifics on HR matters,” Vogt said via email.  “With respect to Tom, we thank him for his service and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Publisher Todd Vogt

“The SF Weekly will still compete with SF Bay Guardian and SF Examiner but we will leverage its strengths and expand on areas that have been neglected or abandoned by Village Voice Media,” Vogt added. “SF Weekly will definitely have its own editor and we have already spoken with several candidates.  I’m blown away with some of the incredibly talented journalists who have expressed an interest in leading SF Weekly. As we re-establish SF Weekly as the leading source of local arts, entertainment and culture content, we want to make sure the next editor shares the commitment to making the paper the best local alt weekly, with almost exclusive emphasis on ‘local.’”

Walsh, who had served as editor of the SF Weekly since 2005, was effectively ousted, sources confirmed.  Walsh did not respond to a request seeking comment.

Separately, Vogt said there would be no terminations at the SF Bay Guardian which is led by Editor Tim Redmond.

“No one can do what the Guardian does,” Vogt said. “Tim Redmond is the best and most knowledgeable progressive journalist. Period.  Plus he is a phenomenal writer and editor.”

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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