Times Community News buys Laguna Beach paper

Times Community News, the division of the Los Angeles Times that

publishes the Daily Pilot, has purchased a Laguna Beach weekly, the

Coastline News.

“We’re very excited about Laguna Beach,” said Thomas Johnson, Times

Community News general manager and publisher of the Pilot. “The key to

our success there will be to produce good quality community journalism,

while remembering the charm and local ownership of the residents there.”

Johnson also pointed out that the combination of readers in both

Laguna Beach and Newport-Mesa will be an attractive audience for

advertisers.

The Coastline News, which publishes on Fridays, will continue to

provide strong, entirely local coverage, said PilotEditor Tony Dodero,

who also will lead the editorial team for the weekly.

“We believe our approach to journalism, which includes thorough

reporting and vibrant photography, will be very attractive to Laguna

readers,” Dodero said. “Our forte is to cover city hall and the local

schools in depth. But in addition, we will strengthen the prep and youth

sports coverage and really focus on the arts and entertainment that is a

staple of this town.”

Besides the Pilot and the Coastline News, Times Community News

publishes two other dailies, the News-Press, serving Glendale, Montrose,

La Crescenta and La Canada Flintridge; and Inland Valley, serving 12

cities in the Inland Empire. It also publishes two other weekly community

newspapers, the Burbank Leader and Huntington Beach Independent.