Cox Media’s Julia Wallace To Retire

Julia Wallace, Cox Media Group’s Ohio market VP, will be retiring from the company at the end of 2016. The search for her successor will begin immediately. In the interim, Rob Rohr, CMG Ohio’s general manager, will oversee the operation.

CMG Executive VP Mike Joseph said: “Julia has had a remarkable career, leading The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as its editor for a decade and then spearheading the CMG Ohio convergence effort in Dayton — bringing TV, radio and newspapers together as a successful and innovative media business. During her five-and-a-half years in Dayton, Julia has been a driving force in growing CMG Ohio into a financially successful multi-media organization. She is creative, energetic, future-focused and willing to take risks.”

Wallace will transition from her role as market VP on July 1 to work directly with Joseph on broader strategic CMG Newspaper news and operations matters for the remainder of 2016. In addition, she will also be teaching a class on political journalism at the University of Dayton.

Joseph added that during Wallace’s tenure in Dayton, CMG Ohio has produced award-winning journalism on all platforms, with a renewed focus on investigative reporting, especially at the Dayton Daily News; growth of WHIO-TV ratings, as the No. 1 CBS affiliate in the country with 76 percent news viewers watching; growth of digital visits by more than 70 percent; launched MeTV, quickly turning it into the No. 1 MeTV affiliate in the country; growth of K99 as the No. 1 radio station in the market, honored this year as a finalist for station of the year by the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music.

“I feel so honored to have led Cox Media Group Ohio,” said Wallace. “This organization is filled with talented and hard-working folks. Through all of the change, they have dug in and found solutions to problems that have perplexed so many. I know they will continue to carry on to do great work. Dayton, Springfield and Northern Cincinnati are very fortunate to have such high-quality journalism. Every day, it helps connect people with the news they need to make a difference in the community.”

Wallace joined the Cox organization in 2000 as managing editor of The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. She was named editor in July of 2002. She was named editor of the year by Editor & Publisher magazine in 2004 and was inducted into the Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement and received the Alumni Merit Award from Northwestern University in 2006.

Wallace began her career in Norfolk, Va., at the Ledger-Star and then moved to the Dallas Times Herald. In 1982, she joined USA Today as a reporter and worked her way up to managing editor/special projects. During that time, she worked in news, sports and special projects.

She joined the Chicago Sun-Times in 1992 as managing editor. She left in 1996 and joined the Salem (Ore.) Statesman Journal as executive editor. In 1998, she became managing editor at the Arizona Republic and served two years before moving to Atlanta.