Mike Feeley has been named Executive Editor of the News Journal/DelawareOnline.com.
The veteran Pennsylvania journalist was the content director for PennLive, a part of the Advance (Newhouse) chain. He was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the scandal involving now-jailed Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Despite one or two near misses, the top prize in journalism has eluded the Gannett-owned News Journal, even during its heyday when the staff was several times larger.
The once highly regarded Advance made the controversial move of moving to three-day-a-week publication at venerable papers like the New Orleans Times/Picayune and Harrisburg Patriot-News. Advance once had a presence in Delaware with family-owned Conde Nast and Advance back-office operations located in Wilmington and Newark.
Advance has been focusing on digital content but has not resorted to paywalls that offer only a limited number of free views of stories.
The News Journal has a paywall and focuses heavily on video and related media. The lengthy, upbeat story on Feeley featured numerous photos and a video of his remarks to a somber-looking staff.
Feeley told staffers that the News Journal has no plans to reduce its seven-day-a-week print schedule and remains committed to investigative reporting.
Feeley praised the work of a young staff with few veteran journalists. Writing talent has often been on the features side.
He succeeds longtime Executive Editor David Ledford, who rode off to Montana. There was no immediate word on whether Feeley will also head the newsroom at DelmarvaNow in Salisbury, MD. Ledford headed that operation after one of many Gannett restructurings.
Help wanted sign out at Business Times
The Delaware Business Times is looking for a successor to Managing Editor Christi Milligan.
Milligan was one of the original staff of the Business Times, an every other week print business journal with a website. The first Business Times rolled off the Press in the fall of 2014. Kathy Canavan, senior reporter, and an original staffer also left earlier.
Milligan did not respond to an email request for comment.
A search is underway for a successor for the publication owned by Delaware Today owner Today Media.
The Today Media roots can be seen in the recently published Innovation Delaware magazine.