The Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise seems to think that the big news here is that the local GOP re-hired a sleazy operator to collect party registrations. The bigger news to me is that the P-E’s owner, A.H. Belo, was one of the donors that financed the GOP’s hiring of the sleazy operator. Four hundred dollars is peanuts to a company the size of Belo, so maybe it was given without much thought to please an advertiser or a golfing buddy. A second’s hesitation might have reminded whichever executive made the bone-headed move that a newspaper’s non-partisan standing is one of its most valuable assets. Or is that too old school in the new media world?
UPDATE: The PE is now reporting that the $400 was an advertising rebate, not a contribution. It was misidentified on the GOP’s books. Never mind.
5 comments
“A second’s hesitation might have reminded whichever executive made the bone-headed move that a newspaper’s non-partisan standing is one of its most valuable assets.”
This may be true, but when nearly every newspaper (or magazine owner) makes political endorsements in their print product, $400 does seem trivial. Especially considering an endorsement is right there in print whereas a donation has to be researched and dug up for a small fraction of the readership to even care to notice. IJS…
The news here is that someone in the media outside of Rupert was supportive to something other than a progressive cause. No other media contributions to report on….really?
I see no difference in that and WBAP campaigning for the GOP 24/7. Except WBAP is worse.
I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and cancel my newspaper subscription again.
No to pile on Belo, but … awwww, hell, I’ll pile on. I’ve been trying to get on their Web site this afternoon and as usual it’s impossible. Worst Web site of any major newspaper in the country, hands down. If I was the GOP, I’d reconsider doing my campaigning through dallasnews.com.
Thanks, I feel better already.