Hollinger Group dismisses Jerusalem Post CEO Tom Rose

Hollinger International, the owner of The Jerusalem Post, fired its publisher and CEO Thomas Rose on Wednesday night following months of turmoil for Israel's first English-language daily.

The decision to fire Rose comes ahead of the expected sale of the newspaper in the coming weeks. It may indicate a dramatic change in direction for the paper, which has had a dedicated right-wing slant for a decade.

Mark Ziman, the paper's chief financial officer, has replaced Rose, although the appointment is expected to be temporary one, until a buyer is found for the Post.

Two groups in the running to buy the paper are the Israeli-American media giant Haim Saban, and the Canadian media organization CanWest, founded by the late Jewish Canadian media magnate Izzy Asper and run by his sons, David and Leonard.

Rose's termination comes at the end of his six years as publisher of the Post, which has been marked by endless conflicts with senior editors and journalists, especially after Bret Stephens joined the paper as editor in chief two years ago.

Last week, Stephens met with the interim CEO of the Hollinger group, Gordon Paris, and briefed him on the situation at the paper, after which Rose was given notice.

Changes at the Jerusalem Post come against the background of the shock waves at Hollinger International, which is now up for sale. The crisis began in November, after Hollinger uncovered financial irregularities and was brought its audit committee into a special probe of the company.

The Toronto-based and NYSE-listed company was already under fire from shareholders for its complex corporate structure and executive compensation. Hollinger CEO Conrad Black resigned in November and the company removed him as chairman in January.

In March, he was stripped of his chairman post at the British Telegraph Group, which includes The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Spectator magazine.

Rose yesterday said he was sure Ziman would deal successfully with the challenges of the Post.

Amotz Asa-El, the executive editor of the Post, said "the general hope in the paper is that a period of financial, political and mental imbalance has ended and will eventually give way to a new era where the Post will consolidate itself as the leading paper of the Jewish diaspora."