"Is Paris Burning?" asks the NY Observer.

A source familiar with the boards' activities said that Ms. Hughes' firing might be a symptom of wider cultural dissonance at the magazine, and that some staff members might've had trouble adjusting to the fact that, for the first time, there was a more corporate element to the magazine's direction.



[...] "But there is no other choice," the source continued. "The board has responsibilities that don't have anything to do with the content of the magazine. Suddenly people like accountants are more important."

But, counters Daniel Kunitz, TPR's former managaing editor, "the makeup of that board is dangerously old."

"I think they're out of touch. I don't think they know what's going on in the way that George did, or in a way that is best for the magazine, to keep it fresh, to keep it current."

No replacements have been publicly named or considered by the board. But, according to board member Thomas Guinzburg, they are "collecting names and resumes of people who want to be considered."