Tribune Preaches Ethics in LA
A Los Angeles Times editor resigned today after Times Publisher David Hiller — a former publisher of the Chicago Tribune — cancelled a planned special section because of an apparent conflict of interest. You can read the details about the whole messy LA divorce here. What we find fascinating, in particular, is Hiller's sudden discovery of ethics, and specifically, of ethical concerns about conflict of interest. There is something truly startling about hearing these words come out of the mouth of a Tribune executive:
The problem with conflicts is, how do you know what someone's motivation was? Indeed. How do we know the Tribune fairly covers the Cubs, a team it owns, and fairly covers the White Sox, who compete in the same market?
How do we know that Tribune reporters, who are directly invested in the Cubs through the Tribune stock in their benefits packages, fairly cover the Cubs and fairly cover the White Sox, who compete in the same market?
It might appear that something is not quite right when, for example, the Tribune prints 1,400 more stories mentioning the Cubs during the two regular seasons that the White Sox won and defended a World Series.
It might appear that something is not quite right when the Tribune enhances the color in photographs of the Cubs and diminishes the color in photographs of the White Sox.
It might appear that something is not quite right when the Tribune declares, the day after 1.75 million people celebrate the White Sox on the streets of Chicago, that the Cubs are still "biggest."
It might appear that something is not quite right when the Tribune declares, as the White Sox pass the Cubs in popularity polls, that the Cubs are still "the most lovable" team in Chicago.
But this isn't just about baseball. How do we know what someone's motivation was when the Tribune and WGN collaborate on stories promoting Tribune-owned Careerbuilder's new advertising campaign and declare, in those stories, that Careerbuilder is "the largest" job-search site?
How do we know what someone's motivation was when the Tribune gives front-page coverage to sexual assaults in Wrigleyville, home of its chosen people, and ignores them on the South Side?
How do we know what someone's motivation was? We don't know.
By the example Hiller has just established in Los Angeles, the Chicago Tribune ought to be cancelled, and its staff ought to resign. And that should have happened a long time ago, when Hiller was still publisher here. But it didn't happen. Nor was the Tribune cleaned up, so that the people of Chicago can have confidence in its journalism. Not only does the Tribune routinely indulge in conflict of interest here, it openly exploits its conflicts of interest, and it doesn't even try to meet the minimum ethical standard by declaring its conflicts in print.
I think this is called hypocrisy.
"The problem with conflicts is, how do you know" what someone's motivation was, Hiller told the gathering of the newspaper's managers. "It might appear that something might not be quite right."Excuse us for being flabbergasted.
The problem with conflicts is, how do you know what someone's motivation was? Indeed. How do we know the Tribune fairly covers the Cubs, a team it owns, and fairly covers the White Sox, who compete in the same market?
How do we know that Tribune reporters, who are directly invested in the Cubs through the Tribune stock in their benefits packages, fairly cover the Cubs and fairly cover the White Sox, who compete in the same market?
It might appear that something is not quite right when, for example, the Tribune prints 1,400 more stories mentioning the Cubs during the two regular seasons that the White Sox won and defended a World Series.
It might appear that something is not quite right when the Tribune enhances the color in photographs of the Cubs and diminishes the color in photographs of the White Sox.
It might appear that something is not quite right when the Tribune declares, the day after 1.75 million people celebrate the White Sox on the streets of Chicago, that the Cubs are still "biggest."
It might appear that something is not quite right when the Tribune declares, as the White Sox pass the Cubs in popularity polls, that the Cubs are still "the most lovable" team in Chicago.
But this isn't just about baseball. How do we know what someone's motivation was when the Tribune and WGN collaborate on stories promoting Tribune-owned Careerbuilder's new advertising campaign and declare, in those stories, that Careerbuilder is "the largest" job-search site?
How do we know what someone's motivation was when the Tribune gives front-page coverage to sexual assaults in Wrigleyville, home of its chosen people, and ignores them on the South Side?
How do we know what someone's motivation was? We don't know.
By the example Hiller has just established in Los Angeles, the Chicago Tribune ought to be cancelled, and its staff ought to resign. And that should have happened a long time ago, when Hiller was still publisher here. But it didn't happen. Nor was the Tribune cleaned up, so that the people of Chicago can have confidence in its journalism. Not only does the Tribune routinely indulge in conflict of interest here, it openly exploits its conflicts of interest, and it doesn't even try to meet the minimum ethical standard by declaring its conflicts in print.
I think this is called hypocrisy.
Labels: Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Tribune Company
posted by Chicago Cubune Watch permalink
