The Tampa Bay Times
Ethically. Financially. Politically. Whoever garnered second place trailed by light years.
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The evidence is compelling. The hubris is off the charts. The hypocrisy shameless. Tampa Bay’s only remaining daily newspaper and its “nonprofit” parent have been in freefall for more than a decade but the moral cowardice and economic stupidity they displayed over the past year has been stunning.
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A newspaper endorsement traditionally has served as a lifeline to political candidates but one from the Times in 2017 more closely resembled a concrete life preserver. In its announced effort “to connect” with Donald Trump supporters, Poynter/Times managed to alienate the entire political spectrum in its circulation area.
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The Tampa Bay Times took more lumps than a seasoned oncologist. Its machinations triggered subscription cancellations and a still ongoing investigation by the Internal Revenue Service of Poynter’s claimed status as a 501(c)(3). Tampa Bay Times support for an issue or candidate is now meaningless in its home county of Pinellas; in Hillsborough and Pasco counties it’s kryptonite.
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By soliciting and accepting wealthy, right wing Republicans for $1.5 million each to bail itself out of a financial morass, Poynter ditched any vestige of impartiality, the vision of founder Nelson Poynter, or pretense of participating nationally in a fast evaporating rich journalistic tradition. Even this stab at influence peddling backfired.
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Poynter/Times, through its subsidiary Florida Trend, sifted through the state’s 20 million residents and named one of its investors, Kiran Patel, as “Floridian of the Year.” One must assume the other nine investors are waiting their turn to receive the honor through 2026.
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After going all in for Trumpite Rick Baker on its news and editorial pages, St. Petersburg Mator Rick Kriseman prevailed in his re-election bid. The intemperate, non-inclusive Baker stood no chance when voters read the slanted coverage and outright falsehoods that marked the Times election coverage. The Times not only never called out Baker for his deceitful campaign tactics, it abetted him.
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The resignation of sexual predator Jack Latvala, a Times stooge who, in his memorable, mercurial, disastrous attempt at becoming governor had the paper’s endorsement teed up. Tampa Bay Beat revealed the Republican legislator has a decades-long history of predatory behavior which the Times chose to ignore until his resignation. —Lawtrnce McClure’s landslide win in a Hillsborough County special election for state represrntative produced another Times loss. The newspaper supported Yvonne Fry, a pernicious purveyor of false narratives, and cried foul about mailers to district voters informing them of that fact. Bean
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The Poynter/Times rightward lurch was most evident in their support for St. Petersburg City Council candidate Justin Bean. With a wafer-thin resumé of civic engagement, the 30-year-old Bean had been arrested six times, a fact that the newspaper never acknowledged. Bean lied about his support for Donald Trump, then got trounced in the runoff by Gina Driscoll.
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In another council race, the Times supported Barclay Harless over Brandi Gabbard. The contest sparked little controvetsy and Gabbard won easily. —A complaint challenging the Poynter Instiute for Media Studies status as a non-profit has been received by the Internal Revenue Service. If the IRS finds that Poynter misappropriated or co-mingled funds, violated its mission statement, failed to adhere to the wishes of its founder Nelson Poynter or participated in political activity, the Institute would be on the hook for back taxes and penalties. In addition, its status as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization would be revoked. There’s more but you get the picture. Loser. Hands down. Judging from the tone and slant of Tampa Bay Times articles published in the past week, 2017’s comsummate Loser is gearing up to successfully defend its title in the new year.
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By Jim Bleyer - Tampa Bay Beat
