Extra, extra, read all about it. Buy your Los Angeles Times here.

No, really. Buy the Times: the whole paper, the offices, printing presses — everything. That's the longtime fantasy of many an editorial employee at one of the nation's finest news operations. Especially after the onerous if not disastrous ownership of Tribune Co. and its master Sam Zell.

But the dreamers might have seen a glimmer of hope this week:

Four big Tribune execs representing most of the corporation's papers were let go in favor of consolidation under one guy, Tribune publishing chief Tony Hunter.

Except that the Times was left out of that consolidation. It remains under separate leadership within Tribune. It stands alone, so to speak.

And so, the Wall Street Journal speculates that …

If Tribune wanted to sell the Los Angeles Times — and suitors have circled the newspaper in the past — the company may have created a perfect structure in which to do so.

Woot-woot! Right? After all, this is the same Tribune Co. that brought the idiotic musings of former radio man Lee Abrams to the troops via company-wide memos. Pre-Charlie Sheen example:

The attitude of the people involved is one of WINNING. Not tweaking…not “hoping they can turn it around”…not all consumed in the unfortunate but realistic economic realities. They are looking at it with a realistic eye and an attitude that is 180 degrees from the protective, 'we'll never succeed because of the economy' defeatism.

Abrams is no longer with the company, but you get the picture: Journalistic torture.

Godspeed.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

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