How the L.A. Times can stop the Koch Brothers

Washington Post ^ | 04/26/2013 | Steve Pearlstein

[SeekAndFind]

The Koch brothers have become the nation’s leading cheerleaders for free markets where consumers, employees, entrepreneurs and investors are free to pursue their own selfish interests without interference from government or unions or anyone else for that matter.

Now comes word that the billionaire brothers want to buy up Los Angeles Times, one of the nation’s last remaining quality newspapers, or its parent, the Tribune Co., which has only recently emerged from bankruptcy reorganization following the disastrous takeover by real estate mogul Sam Zell.

All this has come to a head because the bottom-fishing hedge funds that grabbed control of Tribune during a thoroughly mismanaged bankruptcy process are determined to sell the company to the highest bidder. The money men at Oaktree Capital Management and Angelo, Gordon & Co. don’t care one whit about the impact of a sale on the Tribune’s employees or journalism, or the communities it serves, or the role its newspapers play in the democratic life of the nation.

They are busy gussying up the balance sheet before the investment bankers at J.P. Morgan and Evercore Partners begin shopping the company around to deep-pocketed billionaires. Reportedly high on the list are the Kochs, Rupert Murdoch and Los Angeles billionaires Eli Broad, Ron Burkle and David Geffen.

The newspaper employees of Tribune — those who haven’t lost their job or driven away in disgust — have had their pensions robbed, their pay and benefits cut, their professional dignity assaulted and their enthusiasm sapped by the financial types who have serially raped these once-great newspapers over the past six years. As it turns out, they now have a golden opportunity to turn the tables on their tormenters and exact some revenge.

At its heart, any news organization is only as good as the journalists who put it out.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

...Los Angeles Times, one of the nation’s last remaining quality newspapers

They lost me right there....

[Jack Hammer]

By all means, stop the Koch brothers.

We can’t allow the absolute Liberal stranglehold on media be challenged by these upstarts.

[needmorePaine]

The Koch brothers have become the nation’s leading cheerleaders for free markets where consumers, employees, entrepreneurs and investors are free to pursue their own selfish interests without interference from government or unions or anyone else for that matter.

There's something wrong with this?

[Enterprise]

" And in the meantime, competing news organizations would be quick to pick up Tribune’s stars and use them to lure away readers and advertisers at a time when circulation and revenue are already under pressure. "

Ok Steve, name the "Stars" who could accomplish this.

[JennysCool]

the nation’s leading cheerleaders for free markets where consumers, employees, entrepreneurs and investors are free to pursue their own selfish interests without interference from government or unions or anyone else for that matter.

If one removes "selfish" from the preceding, that's EXACTLY what America needs.

[tx_eggman]

Los Angeles Times, one of the nation’s last remaining quality newspapers

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ..... inhale ..... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ..... inhale .... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha .....

Stop it, you're killing me.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I find it great how “the Koch Brothers” have got the Communist DemocRATS scared to death of them. Go Bros!

[Puppage]

There's something wrong with this?

It's the re-education camp for you!

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I find it great how “the Koch Brothers” have got the Communist DemocRATS scared to death of them.

Here’s the thing, when it comes to social policies, both these brothers are not really that conservative at all. Charles and David are more libertarian in their views.

[OldPossum]

The Washington Post couldn’t write an objective, bias-free news story if their life depended on it.

[Buckeye McFrog]

...Los Angeles Times, one of the nation’s last remaining quality newspapers

Well it does clean windows better than either The Washington Post or Detroit Free Press, and soaks up far more bird poo than the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

[Texas Fossil]

And if those journalists decide collectively to walk out the door one day, the readers and advertisers are almost certain to follow.

No, the advertisers won't. They have "Journalistas"? THAT is why they are in the financial mess to begin with. I see a HUGE opportunity for a collection of Large Newspapers to reorganize and clean out the Subversive Trash that populates them masquerading as journalists. With the "right" people running the papers and the "right" people writing for them, they could become a competing news source for the Propaganda at AP. Bring it on.

Think about the opportunity. Citizen reporters with cell phones with video reporting on what actually happened. Does that brighten your day?

[Colonel_Flagg]

At its heart, any news organization is only as good as the journalists who put it out.

Fixed it. A small correction, but accurate in the Age of Zero.

[max americana]

They’re “really” thinking of selling to the Koch, based on my insider here in L.A. who works for the Slimes. Libtards love money, regardless of their fake hypocrisy about “the little guy”. Another thing: they already hired someone to preside over these dimwits, and the hard core libs balk at the name after they did a background search.

[Vide]

The phrase he’s deliberately distorting is “enlightened self-interest”.

[kevkrom]

Translation: “we’re so balanced and fair, so we don’t actually need the offhand chance of a second opinion out there”.

Squealing like stuck pigs. Music to my ears.

I also love the whole “commitment to the community” crap. It’s business. It’s job is to make money. And the current owners have a vested interest in selling to the highest bidder, no matter what that bidder wants to do with it.

[kevkrom]

If one removes "selfish" from the preceding, that's EXACTLY what America needs.

Actually, a little more self-interest by the right people is pretty much what the country needs. The individual is the keystone to our society.

[IbJensen]

A pox and a whiz on this worthless rag that isn’t worthy of being garbage wrap.

A stinking lousy paper for a stinking lousy city.

To ahead NK. I dare you to blow up LA!

Gutless wonder!

[JerseyHighlander]

Sam Zell is one man I look up to, that man isn’t going to let a bunch of limp wristed dipshites in the LA Times corporation get in his way. Zell will fire the entire corporation and sell the corporate shell if he thinks he can find a buyer in the Koch Bothers and he also has fond better investment options for his money.

Zell is diametrically opposed to left wing Progressive douchbaggery, and I won’t be surprised if he fires the entire LA Times newsroom just for kicks.