More upheaval at The Buffalo News

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Reporting, analysis and commentary
by Jim Heaney, editor of Investigative Post

This has been a tough week for The Buffalo News with word that Editor Sheila Rayam has been ousted and former Publisher Warren Colville has died.

Margaret Kenny Giancola, the paper’s managing editor, succeeds Rayam. The News story announcing her appointment by Lee Enterprises, the paper’s chain owner, didn’t explain the move. I’m told Lee hasn’t explained the move to the newsroom staff, either. 

Rayam’s departure comes in the wake of Lee’s decision to eliminate 10 of the newsroom’s approximately 55 positions. That suggests her departure is in part a cost-cutting move. 

Insiders tell me Rayam, the paper’s first Black editor in chief, was frustrated with both Lee’s heavy-handed oversight of the newsroom and a reluctance of some staff members to adapt to the changing times. 

Conversely, I’m told some members of the newsroom staff were unhappy with her leadership, or what they considered a lack thereof.

Kenny, 52, has worked her way up the ranks since starting as a summer intern while attending the University of Notre Dame. She’s held a succession of editing positions, earning a reputation for being a steady, competent hand. 

Like Rayam, she’s going to have to deal with Lee’s micromanagement and continued downsizing of her newsroom. Kenny’s job will be to manage the paper’s decline while minimizing the harm caused by staff reductions and Lee’s ineptitude. 

It’s a tall order – and a thankless job.

The news of Colville’s death saddens me.

Warren and I were once antagonists, he a management heavy and me playing the same role for the largest union at The News. In time, we forged a very good working relationship based on mutual respect and a disdain for BS. We renewed the relationship earlier this year and he expressed support for our work in the belief that the more local journalism, the better.

The News story said he retired two months after Lee bought the paper in 2020, but in reality, he was forced out in an abrupt and classless manner. He deserved better, as he put his heart and soul into The News during his 33 years with the paper.

As Sandy Tan, a reporter and union leader tweeted: “As former @BuffaloGuild president, I met regularly with @wcolville to get his take on things at @TheBuffaloNews and to offer some contrasting perspective. Even if we disagreed, Warren listened thoughtfully and respectfully. He cared, and I’ll miss him.”

Jim Heaney