Lucky is the suit, empty or otherwise, whose downfall inspires somebody to reach for Shakespeare. Jack Griffin, the ousted CEO of Tribune Publishing, was just shown that kindness. “This is almost Shakespearean,” says the “savvy industry observer” quoted in media writer Ken Doctor’s account of Griffin’s downfall. “The CEO brings in a new shareholder as his ‘partner’ and his ally’s first move is to kick him out. Act One is Romeo and Juliet and Act Two is Julius Caesar.”
Robert Channick’s story in Wednesday’s Tribune points to what Ferro’s big picture is. As he told Tribune Publishing employees when he bought into the company, “He wants to use ‘big data and artificial intelligence’ to get Tribune Publishing to tap into the billions of dollars Google, Facebook and other Internet giants are making off of its content.”
That new vision would get the coldest welcome in Tribune Tower I can imagine. But it could win Ferro fans on the coast.
