Obama Endorsement - Give Me A Break

Am I the only one in the United States that is not surprised by the Chicago Tribune’s and L. A. Times endorsement of Barack Obama? I was surprised it had not come earlier!

I figured such would happen back in July. Try the name of Sam Zell. Good old Sam is one more multibillionaire from Chicago. If you have forgotten Zell purchased the Tribune Company back at the end of 2007.

Zell’s purchase included in part the Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times. Also included was the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field.

As the deal was finalizing newspapers all over America saw editorials written that the end of the newspaper business as a true newspaper was nearly over. The fear was Zell was only interested in turning a profit and not being a true servant of the people.

Zell’s worth was built on mostly commerical realsate and based out of Chicago.

On June 27, 2008 the following exchange took place between Zell and Carl Quintanilla on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” with regards to the Chicago Tribune.

CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla: HOW IS THE AD MARKET GOING TO HOLD UP THIS YEAR?Sam

Zell: WHAT AD MARKET?

Quintanilla: WELL PUT.

Zell: I MEAN, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO BUY ADS? I'M TRYING TO FIND ONE OF THEM.

Quintanilla: YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY, THOUGH, TO EQUALIZING NEWS COVERAGE AND ADVERTISING, RIGHT?

Zell: THAT'S CORRECT.

Quintanilla: YOU'VE LAID OFF SOME PEOPLE IN HARTFORD, BALTIMORE. YOU'RE GOING TO SELL NEWSDAY TO CABLEVISION. HOW MUCH PROGRESS DO YOU FEEL YOU'VE MADE IN GETTING TRIBUNE TO A POINT WHERE IT CAN FINANCE, IT CAN SURVIVE?

Zell: I THINK THE CASE OF "THE TRIBUNE" OR THE NEWSPAPERS IN GENERAL BASICALLY COMES DOWN TO PRODUCING A NEWSPAPER THAT THE CUSTOMER IS WILLING TO PAY FOR. AND THE CUSTOMER IS THE ADVERTISER AND THE CUSTOMER IS THE READER. THAT'S THE CHALLENGE. I THINK THAT BECAUSE NEWSPAPERS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN MONOPOLIES, I THINK THEY'VE BEEN INSULATED FROM REALITY. I, YOU KNOW, AM IN THE POSITION WHERE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO, QUOTE/UNQUOTE DELIVER REALITY. I THINK WE CAN HAVE TERRIFIC NEWSPAPERS, BUT I THINK THE NEWSPAPERS HAVE TO RESPOND TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. IN MANY CASES A LOT OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW WERE ALL IDENTIFIED IN FOCUS GROUPS OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. AND THE FOCUS GROUPS WERE MADE, WERE TAKEN, AND NOBODY PAID ANY ATTENTION TO THEM. OUR CUSTOMERS WERE TELLING US WHAT THEY WANTED AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO THEM.

I think Mr. Zell pretty well sums up his views on what he intended to see the direction the paper was going to take. Considering a major percentage of the readers of the Chicago Tribune are Democrats, it would indicate that Zell intended the paper to take more of a liberal view. This would drive up readership and hence induce increased advertisement revenues.

This is the same newspaper the in 2006 and earlier raised serious issues about Obama’s association with Bill Ayres. When Tony Rezko was first charged with Federal crimes the Tribune was asking a number of questions and provided readers with some less then favorable details.

During the primary race the writers of the paper wrote a number of columns in which they asked questions to Obama’s campaign on a number of “sensitive” issues. They noted Obama’s campaign never answered questions phoned or emailed to them.

Reading the Chicago Tribune endorsement all of those issues seem like they never existed and not answering Tribune questions was not even considered. In this editorial endorsement they to simply dismissed the work and efforts of their own writers.

Considering Zell’s drive for advertising dollars, the changes in the editorial board make up since he has arrived, and Zell’s “heavy hands on” approach to the operation of paper it is little wonder this endorsement took place.

It is sad to see the end of 161 year history come to an end at the hands of a single private owner over that of being owned by the public stockholders.