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Inquirer and Daily News journalist petition denounces censorship
"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," according to a newsroom petition that began circulating last night. "Our employers promise this won't happen again. That must be the case."
Inquirer and Daily News journalist petition denounces censorship
“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,” according to a newsroom petition that began circulating last night. “Our employers promise this won’t happen again. That must be the case."
The last two weeks have been a harrowing ride for Inquirer and Daily News reporters — and a half-blind one for readers.
Philadelphia Media Network (PMN) is in negotiations with a group led by former mayor and governor Ed Rendell, South Jersey Democratic Party boss George Norcross and Flyers owner Ed Snider. The prospect of such powerful owners has reporters worried about editorial independence — especially after top management censored a Feb. 7 blog post by the Daily News' David Gambacorta reporting that mega-developer Bart Blatstein had formed a rival group intending to bid on PMN.
Gambacorta's post was soon replaced with a mysterious statement: "The company is not in discussions with Bart Blatstein" or his group.
PMN vice president Mark Block defended the move, stating that Gambacorta's reporting was bad (it wasn't) and, bizarrely, that the post was a "press release" rather than "an original-content story."
(On Feb. 9 philanthropist Ray Perelman announced that he, too, wanted to explore a PMN bid but was blocked from doing so.)
Editors warned journalists that they could lose their jobs if they posted about the censorship on Twitter or Facebook.
But the climate of newsroom fear was soon replaced by a resolve to defend journalistic integrity as word of the censorship spread to the popular journalism blog JimRomanesko.com and to WHYY's Dave Davies, a longtime Daily News writer. Finally, The New York Times published a damning account on Thursday that featured Daily News editor Larry Platt contradicting publisher Greg Osberg's assertion that he had not demanded direct oversight over coverage of the sale.
“Initially there was a lot of fear and people were very timid. And then when the New York Times thing hit, it was just a free-for-all,” says Wendy Ruderman, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist at the Daily News and petition organizer. “Larry Platt essentially called Osberg a liar, and nothing happened to Larry.”
Journalists still fear for the future of the financially-troubled Inquirer and Daily News: on Wednesday, management announced 37 new layoffs or buyouts—an absolutely devastating prospect. But they are no longer afraid to speak their minds.
“There was a real feeling that journalists would risk our jobs if that's what it took,” says Ruderman. “It would be hard to live with yourself if you didn't because you were afraid.”
Reporters started the petition, and the Guild will publish it as an advertisement in both newspapers next week.
“Everyone in the company is running to jump on board,” including top editors, says Ruderman. “ I don't know how we're going to fit all the names.”
Stay tuned next week for more extensive coverage of the fast-moving controversy at PMN. For now, here's the full petition text:
Public statement from journalists at Philadelphia Media Network
As the only business mentioned in the Bill of Rights, newspapers serve more than private ends. The news we publish is crucial to civic life, to holding the powerful accountable, to democracy itself.
That information must be gathered and printed without fear or favor. 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. Our employers promise this won’t happen again. That must be the case.
Top political and business leaders are now competing to buy Philadelphia Media Network. Regardless of who emerges as our new owners, they must guarantee that the integrity of our reporting will never be sacrificed to serve their private or political interests. One thing must be non-negotiable in any sale: our bond of trust with our readers.
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