KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Mark Zieman, president and publisher of The Kansas City Star, has been promoted to vice president of operations of the newspaper's parent firm, the McClatchy Co.
Zieman, 50, a Kansas native who grew up in Kansas City, will move to Sacramento, Calif., to oversee 13 of the chain's daily newspapers - including The Star - as well as affiliated operations in seven states, McClatchy announced Wednesday.
Zieman joined The Star in 1986 as an investigative reporter and has held several positions with the newspaper, becoming president and publisher in 2008. A search for a new publisher has begun.
As a McClatchy vice president for operations he replaces Frank Whittaker, who is retiring. Bob Weil, McClatchy's other vice president for operations, will oversee 14 daily newspapers and affiliated operations in seven other states. Pat Talamantes, vice president of finance and chief financial officer of McClatchy, will assume oversight of the company's Florida operations, including its newspapers there.
"Mark has done a terrific job as publisher in Kansas City, navigating a tough economy and positioning the paper for a successful future that includes digital, print and niche publications," Gary Pruitt, CEO of McClatchy, said in announcing the appointment.
As The Star's special projects editor, Zieman directed its examination of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. He became managing editor that year and editor and vice president in 1997.
The Star is the largest of McClatchy's 30 daily newspapers, with average daily circulation of 214,000 and Sunday circulation of 308,000.