Bias Alert: Former DNC Chairman Looks to Buy Philadelphia's Two Major Newspapers
According to Wednesday's Washington Times, the former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee is looking to purchase Philadelphia's two major newspapers, raising concerns of liberal bias. Paul Davies, the Philadelphia Inquirer's former deputy editorial page editor slammed the possible move, saying, "Essentially, the Inquirer will cease to exist as a legitimate newspaper."
Ex-DNC chair and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, along with New Jersey Democratic operative George Norcross are attempting to buy the Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. Washington Times writer Dave Boyer asserted that critics worry this "would turn the papers into mere mouthpieces of the Democratic Party in a 2012 swing state."
Boyer explained:
Journalists at both papers are so concerned that nearly 300 of them signed a public statement last week calling on the current and any future owners to protect the integrity of their reporting. They said the current owner, Philadelphia Media Network (PMN), has censored their coverage of the sale.
“As The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com have gone up for sale once again, we watched with dismay as our own coverage of the process was compromised and censored,” the statement says.
Boyer added that conflicts about as "Mr. Rendell's group include parking magnate Lewis Katz and Ed Snider, chairman of Comcast Spectacor and owner of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team."
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Comments
Hope and Change Are On Life Support....
Submitted by JRobertGiles on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 5:40pm.
BHO keeps looking down his smug little nose at us as his minions continue to fervently and blindly defend his failures. Please read and share the following article. Ready the troops!!.
http://tiny.cc/ag81t
J Robert Giles
MODS
Submitted by Radical1979 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 5:57pm.
Time to ban this guy as all he's doing here is pushing his own blog!!
It's a nice blog
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 02/23/2012 - 8:52am.
And he is doing the writing?
And how will this make things different?
Submitted by JeffC... on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 5:55pm.
The built-in biases will still be there--they just won't be able to claim neutrality anymore without everyone knowing.
Exactly
Submitted by ant on Thu, 02/23/2012 - 12:09am.
They're already full of lefty reporters and their tripe. It became even more obvious to some when The Stinkquirer was rewarded 1,000's of dollars in special tax breaks from Rendell when he was mayor. How could they be expected to write critical op-eds of their own special "Santa Claus"? Never get in bed with government is the lesson here, they always insist on being on top.
In the end, not being businessmen
Submitted by Radical1979 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 5:58pm.
They would lose money and the papers would fold.
Isn't there an anti-monopolistic rule about media ownership?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 6:01pm.
Can one person or corporation own the two major newspapers in one market? Isn't there a rule against that?
If by media
Submitted by mandrake on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 6:05pm.
You mean media in general..It never applied to Microsoft..they got away with it bigtime.
thanks mandrake
Submitted by cajun2 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 6:14pm.
Never knew microsoft was a media outlet.../s
Well Google is
Submitted by mandrake on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 6:23pm.
Right?
Media?
Submitted by Radical1979 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:14pm.
.
Ok, it's a stretch
Submitted by mandrake on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:25pm.
But, I definitely recall Google being accused of bias on more than one occasion by this site. And since this site fights media bias..doesn't that qualify Google as media?
Not a stretch mandrake*
Submitted by cajun2 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:47pm.
Its called...deflection
what?
Submitted by agingcynic on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 8:35pm.
you never heard of MSnbc? Anyone who produces or disseminates content is "the media",,
Isn't there an anti-monopolistic rule about media ownership?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:15pm.
Never mind. Sorry about the duplicate.
When were these rags EVER legitimate?
Submitted by NJRightWinger12 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:30pm.
The Stinkquirer used to be a nice, informative paper, and I used to crap in my pants, too! Then they went the NY Slimes route, and theyre just them printed on better stock. The PDN has always been a tabloid rag, but now theyre a lame, unpopular one. So, lets make them even MORE left-leaning-THAT ought to save them!
BTW, the only time peope buy, or at least READ these POS's is when my Eagles are on the covers!
When were these rags EVER legitimate?
Submitted by NJRightWinger12 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:30pm.
The Stinkquirer used to be a nice, informative paper, and I used to crap in my pants, too! Then they went the NY Slimes route, and theyre just them printed on better stock. The PDN has always been a tabloid rag, but now theyre a lame, unpopular one. So, lets make them even MORE left-leaning-THAT ought to save them!
BTW, the only time peope buy, or at least READ these POS's is when my Eagles are on the covers!
I'm wondering if there is a
Submitted by celator on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:47pm.
I'm wondering if there is a trend here--rich leftist Democrat politicians buying up newspapers and other media?
Here in Maine, Donald Sussman, husband of Maine's Socialist Democrat US Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has just invested in MaineToday Media, which owns three of the largest newspapers in the state, the Portland Press Herald, the Kennebec Journal (which is the State Capital's newspaper and which fired its Letters To The Editor editor for running letters criticizing then radical Democrat Governor Baldacci), and the Waterville Morning Sentinel. He will also sit of the board of directors of MaineToday Media. Sussmann is apparently aware of how suspicious it looks, and it sure does. In an article in the Bangor Daily News, Roger Katz writes:
"Sussman is the largest contributor to the Maine Democratic Party and related liberal/progressive causes in our state’s history. During the last several election cycles he has given millions directly to the Democratic Party and other organizations affiliated with them. His wife is running for re-election to Congress and his stepdaughter, former Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree, may have legitimate political aspirations of her own."
Katz continues, "What about his wife’s (Chellie Pingree) re-election campaign? What if they decide her opponent is better qualified? They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. One thing is certain: The editorial writers constantly will be in an untenable position and I wish them well with their sleepless nights."
But that ain't all.
Yet another lefty investment group--the 2100 Trust-- is also trying to sink cash (maybe the deal has gone through at this point, I don't know) into MaineToday Media. The group includes Jack Griffin, former CEO of Time, Inc.among other lefties. Griffen was fired from Time about a year ago.
MaineMedia Today has been bleeding money since it took a hard left turn a few years ago.
I wonder if this is a trend--rich lefties heavily investing or outright purchasing newspapers and other media to help Obama win the 2012 election? Would be an interesting story, if it turned out to be the case.
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/06/business/press-herald-gets-signifi...
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/02/21/opinion/contributors/sussman-in-th...
Add: I should have also noted that Portland Press Herald publishes the Maine Sunday Telegram, the only Sunday newspaper in Maine.
keep your eyes on the Boston Globe
Submitted by agingcynic on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 8:50pm.
as a division of the NYT, they have had a longer farewell tour than Cher and Sinatra. Every 6-12 months, Pinch Sulzberger teases us with the paper returning to respectable ownership. Jack Welch, Mike Barnicle and a bevy of attention-seeking crackpots have so far tried unsuccessfully to pry this portal to the far left of New England from the hands of NYT Co.
keep your eyes on the Boston Globe
Submitted by agingcynic on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 8:50pm.
as a division of the NYT, they have had a longer farewell tour than Cher and Sinatra. Every 6-12 months, Pinch Sulzberger teases us with the paper returning to respectable ownership. Jack Welch, Mike Barnicle and a bevy of attention-seeking crackpots have so far tried unsuccessfully to pry this portal to the far left of New England from the hands of NYT Co.
A trend?
Submitted by falcon on Thu, 02/23/2012 - 8:25am.
I'd say the evidence is plain. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a Democrat trying to buy the media.
I'm amazed at how the Washington Times used the word "worried" about this possible sale. Hey, guys, if you're so "worried" about it, try this: STOP IT!
Stop letting the Left get away with what they get away with! Fight them! They will not fight back, but they will choose a new, less well-defended target. We as conservatives simply let them get away with this stuff because we think we're better than that, to get down in the gutter and fight them on their turf. Those days are over, and we need to realize that NOW before it's too late!
“I will not stand by and watch this great country destroy itself under mediocre leadership, that drifts from one crisis to the next, eroding our national will and purpose.” – Ronald Reagan, July 17, 1980.
Ugh
Submitted by ampul man on Thu, 02/23/2012 - 6:42am.
As a native Philadelphian, now living in nearby NJ, we still get the Inquirer (the wife wants it).
I had hope that when Brian Tierney and his consortium bought the paper, things would change. 'fraid not. The editorial page is a joke.
Can you imagine a more vile Tonay Auth? At least, the Gov will provide some good football commentary.
I am sick and tired of seeing/hearing the name Norcross attached to everything political in NJ.
CNN, the Clinton News Network---Bill decides; Hill reports
Just a thought
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 02/23/2012 - 8:48am.
Imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele, Sean Hannity and Glen Beck were positioning themselves to buy these papers.