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December 09, 2011
San Diego Union-Trib owner: Newspapers are for backing stadiums
Hotel magnate and gay-marriage-hater Doug Manchester announced last month that he was buying the San Diego Union-Tribune for $110 million. Today, the Voice of San Diego reports that Manchester has told a local TV news program what role he wants the newspaper to play:
"Local newspapers need to be a cheerleader for what's right and good for the country, such as promoting the new stadium or whatever," Manchester told KUSI anchors. "I felt that there's been a lack of that here in San Diego. And so that's one of the motivations."
Local news outlets cheerleading for sports projects has a long tradition, of course. They're just usually not quite so bald-faced about it.
Does he have to be a gay marriage "hater" rather than an "opponent"? Seems you're violating your established rule of avoiding personal attacks.
Posted by Ben Miller on December 9, 2011 01:17 PM
I "hate" cheerleading newspapers, aren't they supposed to REPORT the news, not make it?
Posted by Paul W. on December 9, 2011 11:40 PM
Well newspapers and sports have had a symbiotic relationship for over 100 years.
What do you expect them to do, advocate no public funding of pro-sports venues and not reporting game results?
Posted by santa clara jay on December 10, 2011 12:08 AM
The biggest "shill" for the communist/socialist tactic of using taxpayer money to fund stadiums and line the pockets of the owners and players unions is the St. Petersburg Times.
Posted by Wade on December 10, 2011 10:36 AM
I'd suggest we boycott newspapers until they start writing fair, balanced news stories on things we care about. Then I remember - we're all pretty much doing that already.
Posted by Andrew T on December 10, 2011 12:30 PM
Neil - love the headline
Wade - if true, they have been slacking off of late.
Posted by Greg on December 10, 2011 08:28 PM
Interesting.
I thought the purpose of newspapers was to report news, not create it?
Perhaps I missed a memo...
Posted by John Bladen on December 10, 2011 08:53 PM
The purpose of news papers is to make money. Forget that at your peril.
Posted by Joshua Northey on December 11, 2011 06:50 PM
The San Jose Mercury is apparently not even going to bother running a single letter from people questioning the recently announced financing deal in Santa Clara.
Over the past week and a half many individuals, such as myself, have sent letters to the Mercury commenting on the risks involved.
To date not one of these letters has been published.
They did however run a letter from a resident in support of the stadium today.
I think it's safe to conclude that the visions of full pages ads, such as the one the 49ers recently bought comparing the stadium to be to the antiquities of Greece and Rome, are going to be a salvation.
Glad I canceled my subscription after 30 years.
Posted by santa clara jay on December 13, 2011 12:16 AM
The San Jose Mercury is apparently not even going to bother running a single letter from people questioning the recently announced financing deal in Santa Clara.
Over the past week and a half many individuals, such as myself, have sent letters to the Mercury commenting on the risks involved.
To date not one of these letters has been published.
They did however run a letter from a resident in support of the stadium today.
I think it's safe to conclude that the visions of full pages ads, such as the one the 49ers recently bought comparing the stadium to be to the antiquities of Greece and Rome, are going to be a salvation.
Glad I canceled my subscription after 30 years.
Posted by santa clara jay on December 13, 2011 12:16 AM
@SCJ - Yep, we canceled too during the Measure J campaign. After 20+ years of paying for daily paper delivery. And the papers decry their loss of revenue from paid subscriptions, yet don't look at why people cancel.
A while ago a SJ Merc reporter did a study on what people don't like about the paper, ostensibly to make improvements. The biggest complaint was 'bias' in their coverage. That complaint was ignored.
The only bummer to the cancellation is no paper to line pet cages. Now we have to get the SF Chronicle from the neighbors for that. Of course, there's always the Santa Clara Weekly....
Posted by SantaClaraTaxpayer on December 13, 2011 01:20 AM
That Mussolini sure was a communist!