Oops, Truth Spills on Tribune
Tribune media columnist Phil Rosenthal tells it like it is, even if he doesn't mean to. In a column about WGN's continued domination of the radio market, Rosenthal writes, "Despite the Chicago Cubs' last-place finish, their radio station WGN-AM 720 held onto first place overall in third-quarter ratings."
Their radio station. We tend to assume the Tribune owns the Cubs, but maybe the Cubs do own the Tribune. That certainly conforms to the view expressed earlier this year by Paul Sullivan, the Tribune's Cubs beat reporter, when he said, "Some of the people in the Cubs hierarchy think we're just another subsidiary of theirs and we're supposed to be their house organ."
Maybe that's not exactly what Rosenthal meant when he called WGN their radio station, but who knows? Maybe he's the rare honest specimen. Rosenthal is the writer who admitted in print that Tribune journalists are very aware of their investment in the Tribune company, which rewards them with Tribune stock.
Rosenthal is also one of the very few Tribune journalists (we have only seen two) who includes an ethical disclosure in his column when he writes about Tribune, as journalism ethics compel journalists to do. It's really not terribly difficult. Rosenthal simply includes a sentence like this in those stories: "WGN and the Cubs, like this paper, are owned by Tribune Co." Nearly all Tribune journalists who cover Tribune assets seem to be deathly afraid of that sentence. As if they have something to hide.
For example, there was no such disclosure in Paul Sullivan's Oct. 17 story listing the "top five things Lou Piniella must do to prove he's worth the Cubs' $10 million expenditure." Sully's to-do list includes, "Increase the TV ratings," as if that's the manager's responsibility:
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss
With their personal investments on the line, you'd think Tribune reporters would apply more critical thinking to the Cubs' selection of a new manager, but Chicago media are fawning over Lou Piniella, just as they fawned over Dusty Baker before things got ugly. It seems to us that Tribune excutives followed exactly the same strategy in hiring Piniella that they followed in hiring Baker: they simply hire the most famous candidate.
Piniella was the biggest name available, so the Cubs hired Piniella. Why? Asses in seats. Television ratings. (Two years ago the Cubs needed a shortstop, so they simply went after the most famous shortstop available: Nomar Garciaparra. Last year the Cubs needed a leadoff hitter, so they simply went after the most famous leadoff hitter available: Juan Pierre. And people wonder why they suck). The biggest name is rarely the best name. The most famous manager is rarely the most successful manager. In the last five years, the World Series champion managers have begun as relatively obscure figures on the national level who won their first championship:
2005: Ozzie Guillen
2004: Terry Francona
2003: Jack McKeon
2002: Mike Scioscia
2001: Bob Brenley
While the upstarts are winning, the Cubs will be busy trying to bend Piniella to their fabulous tradition of mediocrity.
Their radio station. We tend to assume the Tribune owns the Cubs, but maybe the Cubs do own the Tribune. That certainly conforms to the view expressed earlier this year by Paul Sullivan, the Tribune's Cubs beat reporter, when he said, "Some of the people in the Cubs hierarchy think we're just another subsidiary of theirs and we're supposed to be their house organ."
Maybe that's not exactly what Rosenthal meant when he called WGN their radio station, but who knows? Maybe he's the rare honest specimen. Rosenthal is the writer who admitted in print that Tribune journalists are very aware of their investment in the Tribune company, which rewards them with Tribune stock.
Rosenthal is also one of the very few Tribune journalists (we have only seen two) who includes an ethical disclosure in his column when he writes about Tribune, as journalism ethics compel journalists to do. It's really not terribly difficult. Rosenthal simply includes a sentence like this in those stories: "WGN and the Cubs, like this paper, are owned by Tribune Co." Nearly all Tribune journalists who cover Tribune assets seem to be deathly afraid of that sentence. As if they have something to hide.
For example, there was no such disclosure in Paul Sullivan's Oct. 17 story listing the "top five things Lou Piniella must do to prove he's worth the Cubs' $10 million expenditure." Sully's to-do list includes, "Increase the TV ratings," as if that's the manager's responsibility:
"This is something the Cubs will [not] admit to, but falling behind the White Sox in the ratings game in '05 was an embarrassment for the organization, no matter the difference in records. Chicago can no longer be called a Cubs town if they don't have more viewers than the Sox."Not only does it embarrass Tribune when the Sox (5.1 rating) beat the Cubs (4.5 rating) on Tribune-owned WGN (or is it Cubs-owned WGN?), it also weakens the investment that all Tribune employees have in Tribune stock. Get to work Lou!
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss
With their personal investments on the line, you'd think Tribune reporters would apply more critical thinking to the Cubs' selection of a new manager, but Chicago media are fawning over Lou Piniella, just as they fawned over Dusty Baker before things got ugly. It seems to us that Tribune excutives followed exactly the same strategy in hiring Piniella that they followed in hiring Baker: they simply hire the most famous candidate.
Piniella was the biggest name available, so the Cubs hired Piniella. Why? Asses in seats. Television ratings. (Two years ago the Cubs needed a shortstop, so they simply went after the most famous shortstop available: Nomar Garciaparra. Last year the Cubs needed a leadoff hitter, so they simply went after the most famous leadoff hitter available: Juan Pierre. And people wonder why they suck). The biggest name is rarely the best name. The most famous manager is rarely the most successful manager. In the last five years, the World Series champion managers have begun as relatively obscure figures on the national level who won their first championship:
2005: Ozzie Guillen
2004: Terry Francona
2003: Jack McKeon
2002: Mike Scioscia
2001: Bob Brenley
While the upstarts are winning, the Cubs will be busy trying to bend Piniella to their fabulous tradition of mediocrity.
posted by Chicago Cubune Watch permalink
