Holly Mullen steps down as City Weekly editor, Posted by Robert Paisola

After nearly two years as editor of Salt Lake City's largest-circulation alternative newspaper, long-time Utah journalist Holly Mullen has announced that she has left Salt Lake City Weekly.

Mullen said Thursday that "City Weekly publisher Jim Rizzi and I reached a mutual decision to part ways, and I am now pursuing other career goals." She declined to elaborate any further but said she is leaving under amicable circumstances.

"I wish City Weekly the best," she said. "I've done both alternative and mainstream journalism and see a place for both and wish City Weekly a bright future."

Rizzi declined comment on the matter, citing personnel privacy.

He said that Mullen would be replaced by veteran journalist Jerre Wroble, who has worked as City Weekly's managing editor since 2005.

Mullen, a Utah native and University of Utah graduate, began her career nearly 31 years ago as a staff reporter at the Deseret News, she said. She also worked as a journalist in other cities around the country, including Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Dallas-Ft. Worth area before eventually returning to Utah just over a decade ago.

Upon her return, she worked at the Salt Lake Tribune for about eight years before becoming editor at City Weekly in April 2007.

Mullen said that in the short term, she plans to take stock of where she would like to move in the next phase of her life before making a decision on whether to remain in journalism, particularly in the current difficult employment economy.

"I'm a little bit tired and concerned about what's happening with all journalism — print and broadcast," Mullen said. "I may move to something totally different, I just don't know right now."

E-MAIL: jlee@desnews.com