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Detroit News Editor and Publisher David J. Butler, from right, Managing Editor Susan Burzynski and Director of Photography Nancy Hanus look at photos for today's paper.Hands-on editor/publisher will lead The News
Incoming Detroit News Editor and Publisher David J. Butler, left, greets Deputy Metro Editor Dave Warner after a press conference in the newsroom. "Most people in a newsroom don't like change, and neither do I," Butler says.
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David J. Butler, a veteran of newspaper wars in Los Angeles and Denver, enlisted for a new one in Detroit on Wednesday as he became editor and publisher of The Detroit News.
Butler, 55, who was editor of the Daily News in Los Angeles, assumed the top spot of the Detroit paper when it was acquired by Denver-based MediaNews Group.
Butler told the paper's assembled staff that he looked forward to going head-to-head against the Detroit Free Press.
"We don't underestimate the challenge we face," Butler said. "We'll have enhanced competition. It's a fight for every subscriber."
Butler, whose appointment is effective immediately, replaces Mark Silverman, who had been publisher and editor for eight years. Silverman will rejoin the corporate news staff of the Gannett Newspaper Division.
Butler was described by colleagues and employers as an engaged boss who likes to get his hands dirty.
William Dean Singleton, the CEO and vice chairman of MediaNews who announced the changes, said Butler was a strong advocate of participatory journalism who thrives in competitive situations.
"He's a pretty sassy editor, so I'm sure he'll do what he thinks is fit," Singleton said. "His job is to see that we kick butt here."
Ron Kaye, managing editor of the Daily News, said Butler was one of the most active editors he ever worked with.
He said his former boss goes from one major task to another without ever taking a break. He's a student of journalism who immerses himself in every part of the trade.
"The joke about him is that he does everything, and he's very good at it," Kaye said. "He's the antithesis of the passive editor. He works harder than anyone in the newsroom."
Melissa Lalum, executive news editor at the Los Angeles paper, said Butler is a demanding boss who always lets you know where you stand -- for good or bad.
Workers can hear from the editor at any time of the day, she said. He's always trying to improve the paper, from photos to headlines to stories.
"He pretty much lives and dies for the paper," Lalum said.
When Butler was an assistant managing editor at the Rocky Mountain News, his boss asked him to take over responsibility for the Sunday paper. Butler, who already worked 60 hours a week, took the job even though it meant having to work Saturday nights.
That's what you have to do sometimes, he told his new charges. You have to figure out the best way to do a job and then do it.
"I'm not a shy, retiring guy," he said. "If you like that and want to be engaged, we'll have a good time. If you hide in the corner, we won't have a good time."
He described himself as a hands-on editor who will be around the newsroom and involved in many facets. At the Los Angeles papers, he sometimes wrote headlines and challenged the staff to outdo him.
Butler sought to alleviate the fears of staffers that he would make immediate changes to their jobs.
Instead, he wants to meet workers in groups to learn about them, listen to their problems, answer their questions and pepper them with some of his own.
"Most people in a newsroom don't like change, and neither do I," he said. "We need to get to know each other. We'll all be going down the path together."
He said The Detroit News was a lively, interesting paper but could be made more dynamic.
He said newspaper content wouldn't be directed from corporate offices, but that he and the staff would decide the best approach to news.
"We don't do cookie-cutter stuff from headquarters," he said to cheers. "If I got a memo like that, I would throw it away"
Butler had been editor of the Los Angeles paper for eight years. He also was vice president for news of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, which runs eight papers in the Los Angeles area.
Before that, he had been editor of the New Haven Register, the second-largest daily in Connecticut, for eight years. He also has had senior editing jobs at newspapers in Colorado, Florida, Kentucky and Illinois.
Butler was born and raised in Illinois and attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., where he majored in journalism and photography.
When not working, he likes to garden, travel and work on his home.
Butler says he's also not averse to having fun, even at his own expense.
His staff once played a practical joke on him, having exercise guru Jack LaLanne sneak into his office during a visit to the paper.
Butler keeps a photo of him looking stunned as he's confronted by LaLanne in short shorts.
You can reach Francis X. Donnelly at (313) 223-4186 or fdonnelly@detnews.com.
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The Detroit News.
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