vers aw ▁numerous ▁ac quis itions ▁of ▁print ▁and ▁digital ▁properties . ▁ ▁Emp ir ical ▁Media ▁ ▁Griff in ▁co - f ounded ▁Emp ir ical ▁Media , ▁a ▁New ▁York - based ▁consult ing ▁firm , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁At ▁the ▁hel m ▁of ▁Emp ir ical , ▁Griff in ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁consult ant ▁to ▁Trib une ▁Company , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁with ▁management ▁to ▁over see ▁the ▁re organ ization ▁of ▁the ▁publishing ▁unit ▁to ▁cut ▁costs ▁and ▁stream line ▁operations ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁its ▁sp ino ff . ▁ ▁Trib une ▁Publishing ▁Company ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Trib une ▁Company ▁announced ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁separate ▁its ▁publishing ▁assets , ▁including ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁and ▁six ▁other ▁daily ▁newsp apers , ▁from ▁its ▁broadcast ing ▁hold ings ▁into ▁a ▁stand - alone ▁public ▁company . ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Griff in ▁was ▁appointed ▁Chief ▁Executive ▁Officer ▁of ▁Trib une ▁Publishing . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Trib une ▁Publishing ▁fired ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁Publish er ▁Austin ▁Be ut ner ▁after ▁a ▁year ▁on ▁the ▁job . ▁Be ut ner ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Tim othy ▁E . ▁Ryan , ▁publish er ▁of ▁The ▁Baltimore ▁Sun , ▁another ▁Trib une ▁Publishing ▁property . ▁Several ▁days ▁later , ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁civ ic ▁leaders ▁including ▁Eli ▁Broad ▁and ▁two ▁former ▁may ors ▁wrote ▁an ▁open ▁letter