San Diego Union-Tribune: Investor claims ownership, censorship
Posted by Emily Dilling on May 22, 2009 at 3:23 AM
The Los Angeles police officers' union is asking the San Diego Union-Tribune to alter its stance on labour issues or eliminate its current editorial staff writers, the Los Angeles Times reported today.
The Union-Tribune was recently purchased by Platinum Equity, which receives US$30 million in investments from the pension funds of Los Angeles police officers, firefighters and other public workers, a move that has resulted in assertions of control by associations of public workers, such as the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Although the Beverly Hills-based firm is private, it relies on the investments.
The Union-Tribune was recently purchased by Platinum Equity, which receives US$30 million in investments from the pension funds of Los Angeles police officers, firefighters and other public workers, a move that has resulted in assertions of control by associations of public workers, such as the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Although the Beverly Hills-based firm is private, it relies on the investments.
In a March 26 letter to Platinum Equity's Chief Executive Tom Gores, president
of the Protective League, Paul M. Weber, wrote "since the very public
employees they continually criticize are now their owners, we strongly
believe that those who currently run the editorial pages should be
replaced," the LA Times reported.
The Union-Tribune's editor Bob Kittle has denied the charge of unfair reporting or attempts to depict public employees as what Weber called "parasites." He also pointed out that criticism of public employees' benefits and pensions "has to be considered in the context of what the city can afford."
An executive at Platinum said the League's jostling for control will do no good, telling the Union-Tribune Platinum has "no editorial agenda" and will "rely on the newspaper's professional staff to ensure that its pages appropriately reflect the values of the community it serves."
The Union-Tribune's editor Bob Kittle has denied the charge of unfair reporting or attempts to depict public employees as what Weber called "parasites." He also pointed out that criticism of public employees' benefits and pensions "has to be considered in the context of what the city can afford."
An executive at Platinum said the League's jostling for control will do no good, telling the Union-Tribune Platinum has "no editorial agenda" and will "rely on the newspaper's professional staff to ensure that its pages appropriately reflect the values of the community it serves."
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