Susan Goldberg (left) is stepping down as executive editor of the San Jose Mercury News to take the top newsroom job at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. She will be replaced by Carole Leigh Hutton (right), currently publisher of the Palo Alto Daily News and former editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press, according to a statement issued today by the MediaNews Group-controlled California Newspapers Partnership, owner of the Merc and Palo Alto papers. Hutton will report to Merc publisher George Riggs. Hutton has been publisher of the Palo Alto Daily News group of free dailies since Jan. 17. The statement didn’t say whether she would continue to serve as publisher in Palo Alto. Goldberg became executive editor of the Merc in 2003, after working as managing editor for four years. From 1989 to 1999, Goldberg worked at USA Today, serving as a deputy managing editor of the News, Life and Enterprise sections. [E&P: Goldberg to replace Clifton as ‘Plain Dealer’ editor]