Traditionally the publisher is the first person to go when a newspaper changes hands. But it’s possible that when Dean Singleton buys four Knight Ridder newspapers, he may keep Par Ridder, the publisher of the St. Paul Pioneer Dispatch and son of Knight Ridder chairman Tony Ridder. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday that Par Ridder (pictured), 37, is “seen as a possible candidate for an executive job at MediaNews if the company buys the California papers,” according to an unnamed source. Ridder’s response to the report: “I love the job I have and I’m not looking to move.” The papers Singleton is expected to buy include the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Monterey Hearld and the St. Paul paper where Par Ridder is publisher. (Photo by Jeff Horwich, Minnesota Public Radio) [Pioneer Press circulation up despite ownership uncertainty