Ihnatko out, Deatherage in as Macworld back page columnist
Wednesday, January 15, 2003

by Chuck La Tournous

Andy Ihnatko -- the self-proclaimed "42nd most-beloved industry personality" -- will no longer be writing the back page column for Macworld magazine. Replacing him will be Mac Journals publisher Matt Deatherage, according to a post on the Your Mac Life mailing list and confirmed by RandomMaccess.

"My first column will appear in the April 2003 issue," Deatherage said, "and I intend to write about the kind of broad themes readers see in MDJ and MWJ (Deatherage's daily and weekly Mac-news publications) each month, tying together bits and pieces into a bigger picture."

The change does not reflect any disatisfaction with Ihnatko, according to Rick LePage, Macworld's editor-in-chief. "Andy did not get fired or demoted," Le Page told RandomMaccess. "He is a great writer and has been -- and should remain -- an important part of Macworld's opinion section."

LePage said Ihnatko will continue on at Macworld and will remain a contributing editor to the magazine. So what role will Ihnatko have once the back page belongs to Deatherage: a new montly column? Occassional opinion pieces? Something different? "All of the above," LePage said. "The addition of Matt is designed to complement and expand Macworld's voice, not take something away from Andy."

Ihnatko confirmed he will be staying on at Macworld. "I like the relationship I have with Jason Snell, my editor, and would like to continue it," he told RandomMaccess. "Speaking as an ornery cuss whose chief form of exercise is the nurturing of grudges, I wouldn't be even considering it if I didn't still have tremendous affection for the magazine and its staff, and felt that this affection was mutual." He said he has "no doubt that people will miss me on the back page, but I've also no doubt that people will enjoy Matt."

In addition, Ihnatko said he'll "continue to do my column for The Chicago Sun-Times, my occasional feature stuff for Playboy and other mags, and my radio show...so I'm not worried about having idle time on my hands. And on a personal note, my website (www.andyi.com) will be back up and running once I figure out what the bloody hell Jaguar did to the app I wrote to maintain my weblog! Please, people, stop emailing me to ask if I've been killed!"

LePage said Deatherage was being brought on board not to replace Ihnatko's voice, but to bring something new to the magazine. "Matt has shown an uncanny ability to analyze the minute and often contradictory currents that swirl around Apple and the Mac, and distill them in a way that is understandable, funny and unique in tone," LePage said. "He deserves a wider audience, and I believe his opinions will have resonance with Macworld's readership."

Deatherage was self-effacing in describing how he'll make his own mark on the Macworld back page. "I will probably 'differentiate' myself from Andy by being in over my head for a while, unaccustomed as I am to public speaking."