Tampa Bay Times' parent, Poynter, facing financial squeeze

Tampa Tribune ^ | 6/2/2012 | Richard MULLINS

[scooby321]

The renowned Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg is turning to new funding options as officials acknowledge their traditional source, theTampa Bay Times, can no longer finance its parent organization.

The nonprofit Poynter Institute is recruiting new philanthropy experts, launching a massive fund-raising drive and exploring land sales as financial support from the St. Petersburg-based newspaper is "no longer viable."

[scooby321]

"These have been difficult times," said Poynter President Karen Dunlap. The institute's posh campus with thebay view makes "a number of people think there's a huge pot of gold in a closet somewhere in Poynter. That's not true. I've looked."

[bill1952]

It going under cannot happen too soon...

[GladesGuru]

Commies from the inception. The Poynter Institute was long known to be a hotbed of communism.
May all of those “Poynter headed” commies contract HAGS disease!

It is the least they deserve.

[Armando Guerra]

St. Petersburg is a fairly conservative area with an ultra-left (even by media standards) newspaper. Media people seemed to be the only ones surprised that a business enterprise can continually insult and denigrate their customer base and yet expect to be successful.

[SES1066]

First, let us be clear, the Tampa Tribune (Media General) is in a death-match with the Tampa Bay Times (formerly Saint Petersburg Times) in one of the few multi-newspaper metropolitan markets left outside NYC and Chicago.

Poynter Institute is named for the former owner and long-time publisher of the St. Petersburg Times, Nelson Poynter, whose father purchased the newspaper in the 1910s. He established the non-profit Institute as a school of journalism and then bequeathed the newspaper to it in his will. Also note that the parent of the Tampa Tribune, Media General, was just purchased by the “Sage of Omaha”, Warren Buffett.

That being said, the local nickname for the former St.Pete Times has been “Suncoast Pravda” for its enduringly and persistent liberal viewpoint. So, from a personal viewpoint, I weep no tears for Poynter.

[Montanabound]

I didn’t know they changed the name. I remember bumperstickers “The St Pete Times is widely RED” from 40 years ago when I lived there. Glad to see they are in trouble.