EXPECTED DEPARTURE: Joe Dolce‘s time is up at Star. After a dismal second half of 2006, when both Dolce and editorial director Bonnie Fuller struggled to turn around the tabloid’s newsstand sales, he will leave his post as editor when his contract expires March 31. Replacing Dolce will be Globe editor in chief Candace Trunzo, who will take over on April 1. American Media chief David Pecker disclosed the changes to his staff Tuesday. Trunzo will report to Fuller.
“I want to thank Joe for all his efforts and contributions toward Star’s successful transition from tabloid to glossy magazine over the past three years,” wrote Pecker in a memo to his staff. He said of Trunzo: “Throughout her career at Globe, Star and the National Enquirer, Candace has shown she not only can break celebrity news, but get the real story that’s behind the headlines.”
Dolce’s departure comes as Star’s newsstands sales fell 13.9 percent to 743,439, though paid and verified circulation rose 7.8 percent to 1.5 million, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. The Globe was down 3.6 percent on the newsstand to 391,984, while paid and verified circulation remained flat at 487,123. Star’s single-copy sales declined from more than 800,000 an issue in July to the low 500,000 in December, putting pressure on Dolce and Fuller to boost sales. This year, newsstand sales have crept back over 700,000 for several issues.
Some insiders believe Trunzo’s hire could undermine Fuller’s authority at the struggling tabloid empire. In her 13 years at AMI, Trunzo has gained a reputation as a hard-edged editor of old-school tabloid reporting. She joined Globe in 1994 as a features editor, moved to Star in 1999 as executive editor, then as editor in chief, and then editor in chief of Globe. Trunzo also worked a year at National Enquirer as the senior executive editor.
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SUMMER JOB: Deborah Schoeneman has found herself another gig in addition to her title as contributing editor at Condé Nast’s business magazine start-up Portfolio. The former New York and New York Observer columnist will take over as editor in chief of Hamptons Style this season. The title will publish biweekly this summer, with the first arriving May 11. The seasonal gig works well with Portfolio’s frequency — its first issue will make its debut in April, and then will begin a monthly schedule in September. “Because Portfolio doesn’t publish in the summer, it’s a good use of my time,” said the new editor.
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At Hamptons Style, Schoeneman recruited photographer Jessica Craig-Martin, who has shot for Vogue and Vanity Fair, and who shot the “Socialities – They’re Just Like Us!” spread in Radar 3.0, to be creative director. She’s also signed up contributors including New York Times style and travel reporter Julia Chaplin, Daily Candy’s Pavia Rosati and socialite Ardel Wohl. Meanwhile, Debbie Bancroft will continue to serve as society editor. Schoeneman will write a real estate column for Hamptons Style, and plans to increase coverage of art, design and literature in the Hamptons, as well as include regular fashion and shopping columns. She’ll also relaunch the Web site, which will include blogs, by the time the first issue hits.