Changes at the top at Coastline Pilot

Managing Editor S.J. Cahn named editor, takes over for Tony Dodero, who will focus on websites.After more than three and a half years of leading the Coastline Pilot, Editor Tony Dodero has handed his post over to S.J. Cahn, who has been the paper’s managing editor.

Dodero is being promoted to general manager of the websites for the Coastline Pilot and its seven sister papers. There he will oversee both the business and editorial sides of the Times Community News websites.

Times Community News is the division of the Los Angeles Times that publishes the Coastline Pilot and the seven other papers, including the Daily Pilot and the Huntington Beach Independent.

“This is a great opportunity for Tony,” said Tom Johnson, publisher and Times Community News general manager. “He will be able to work on new business ventures and strategies and handle the websites’ budgets as he develops in a new role in the journalism business.

“It also is good for our websites,” Johnson said. “We’ll have a person running them who deeply understands the community journalism we do.”

The decision to make the change was not an easy one, Dodero said.

Dodero, 44, graduated from Long Beach State and worked as news editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Cahn, 36, started his career at a small weekly newspaper in Missouri, and has worked in the Washington bureau of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and as a copy editor at the Kansas City Star. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He also has a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame and a master’s degree in English from the University of Washington.

“S.J. has been a valuable member of our editorial team, and we have great confidence in his leadership and ability to continually champion the quality local coverage that is the hallmark of the Independent,” said Elaine Zinngrabe, the paper’s general manager.

Cahn said his own measure of how he does in his new role will be simple.

“If readers don’t notice changes -- I trust for the better -- within six months, I haven’t done my job,” he said. “Fortunately for me, Tony’s leaving me a strong paper with a great staff. I’m excited to work with them and with members of the community as editor.”

In addition to the Coastline Pilot, Cahn will also be taking over as editor of the Daily Pilot and the Independent, positions Dodero held.20051111ipny9okn(LA)S.J. Cahn 20051111h0cjf6ke(LA)Tony Dodero