UPDATE, MARCH 23, 4:19 P.M.: Riviera founding editor Kedric Francis tells the Weekly changes within the Modern Luxury company that owns the magazine prompted him to resign.
“It was definitely my choice,” he informs via email. “I've been thinking about it
for a few months. Editors in Los Angeles, NYC and Atlanta have left the
company in the past few months, as well as both our editorial director
and James Beard award-winning national restaurant and travel editor. As
you all well know, some can adapt to new corporate and creative cultures
that often arise with new ownership, but others are too set in our
ways!”
]
Yep, that phenomenon does have a familiar ring to it. Having an unfamiliar ring to it is the town my original post identified as including Francis as a proud resident. He actually resides in Laguna Beach. Oopsie.
ORIGINAL POST, MARCH 23, 10:46 A.M.: Riviera magazine founding editor Kedric Francis has disclosed he is resigning .
“After some months of soul-searching, and with the full support of [wife] Elaina and [son] Otis, I'm resigning as editor-in-chief of Riviera magazine,” the Long Laguna Beach resident writes on his Facebook page. “Riviera has been my baby, so it's tough to leave.”
We here at the Weekly have always been jealous of Francis, not just because Riviera got mentioned on The O.C. before we did, but also because it was mentioned much more often. And don't get us started on the Orange County Press Club awards he has stolen from us.
He hints at the end of his message (below) about a new venture. Like you, we will stay tuned.
Hello all!
While I was hoping to be nuanced and subtle about the whole thing, I've been getting inquiries since an online ad totally lacking in nuance went up, so let's make it official:
After some months of soul-searching, and with the full support of Elaina and Otis, I'm resigning as editor-in-chief of Riviera magazine.
Riviera has been my baby, so it's tough to leave.
I am the founding editor of both Orange County and San Diego editions of Riviera; Riviera O.C. was the third magazine in Modern Luxury's empire, and we were the one that proved the national model could work.
Thanks to all our friends, colleagues, contributors, clients and readers who made this all possible.
Under the leadership of my good friend Chris Gialanella, Riviera will remain a vibrant part of Orange County life. I'm very proud of the magazine, and I wish the team nothing but the best.
More on my plans soon, but I'm joining a young, exciting company with growth plans I want to be a part of–so for those of you who enjoy my writing, I'm not going away.
Kedric
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.
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