The US: In one of the biggest upheavals in modern American journalism, the executive editor of the New York Times, Mr Howell Raines, and the managing editor, Mr Gerald Boyd, have resigned over the turmoil sparked by a former young reporter who fabricated dozens of stories.
The announcement was made yesterday by the newspaper's publisher, Mr Arthur Sulzberger jnr, in an emotional meeting called at short notice on the third-floor newsroom in the Times Square building.
Mr Sulzberger said that on an interim basis, Mr Raines (60) would be replaced by Mr Joseph Lelyveld (66), his immediate predecessor who retired in 2001.
There were gasps and some sobs when the announcement was made in front of dozens of reporters, editors, photographers and other newsroom staff members who had been summoned by e-mail.
An account of the resignations by a New York Times reporter on its website said that after the deceptions of reporter Jayson Blair were brought fully to light, it became clear "that Mr Raines's hard-charging leadership style had not only played a role in creating the atmosphere that allowed Mr Blair to do what he did largely undetected but had also alienated him from his staff".
Mr Blair (27) resigned on May 1st after an investigation led to the discover of 37 fraudulent or plagiarised stories over six months. He later boasted that he "fooled some of the most brilliant people in journalism".
The top editors were particularly criticised for allowing the mistake-prone Blair to cover the Washington-area sniper case, during which he invented stories without leaving New York.
When Mr Sulzberger visited the Times's Washington bureau this week he encountered open rebellion.
The paper's staff were also discontented that Mr Raines did not come to their defence after Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Rick Bragg resigned,saying it was common practice to rely heavily on anonymous stringers.
Morale had plummeted over the scandal which eroded confidence in the leading US newspaper, which often sets the agenda for other media outlets across the country.
A senior staff member told The Irish Times that the problem was not just that the staff had lost confidence in the editor but that Mr Raines had lost confidence in himself and the unrelenting scandal "has destroyed his equilibrium".
Mr Boyd had attracted criticism for favouring Mr Blair - both are African-Americans - in pursuit of greater diversity at the paper. He was applauded when he told the newsroom yesterday: "I'm still committed to diversity."
Retired Times publisher Mr Arthur Sulzberger snr, father of the current publisher and chairman emeritus, made a rare appearance at the meeting, underlining the concern of directors at the damage to the most trusted paper of record and raising a question over the survival as publisher of his son, who chose Mr Raines as executive editor.
The Times had become a butt of late-night television comedians such as Jay Leno who got laughs by saying if a story appeared in the New York Times it must have been made up.
Mr Raines's 22-month spell was one of the shortest in the 152- year history of the newspaper. Under his leadership, the paper won an extraordinary seven Pulitzer Prizes for its reporting of the September 11th attacks on New York, but he made many enemies with his style of management.
At a tumultuous meeting with staff on May 14th, Mr Raines admitted that he was viewed as "inaccessible and arrogant" and that he had "a star system that singles out my favourites". He also admitted to giving Blair one chance too many to promote diversity.
Yesterday before he left the emotional newsroom meeting, Mr Raines told staff: "Remember, when a great story breaks out, go like hell."
The publisher praised his and Mr Boyd's work, saying "There is so much to say but it really just boils down to this: this is a day that breaks my heart and I think it breaks the hearts of a lot of people in this room."
The New York Times Company had revenues in 2002 of $3.1 billion from its holdings which include The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Boston Globe, 16 other newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and more than 40 websites.
It ranked number one in the publishing industry in Fortune's 2002 list of America's Most Admired Companies last year.