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Posted on 05/02/2013 2:54:27 PM PDT by onyx
Threats by members of the Los Angeles City Council to use the city’s pension funds to penalize investors if they sell the Los Angeles Times to Charles and David Koch could be illegal and unconstitutional, experts say.
A proposal by councilman Bill Rosendahl would allow the city to yank investments by the city’s three pension funds in the Tribune Co., which owns the Times, if the company opts to sell the paper to someone who does not uphold “the highest terms of professional and objective journalism.”
Rumors that libertarian industrialists Charles and David Koch might buy the paper spurred him to propose the motion, Rosendahl told the Times. He did not respond to a request for comment.
“Frankly what I hear about the Koch brothers, if it’s true, it’s the end of journalism,’’ Rosendahl told the paper.
The Koch Brothers are reportedly considering purchasing the Tribune Co., which owns the Times, though they are also said to be uninterested in the company’s other media properties, which include 23 local television stations, a national cable network, and other newspapers.
“We cannot support the sale of the Times to entities who Times readers would view as a political transaction first and foremost, turning L.A.’s metropolitan daily into an ideological mouthpiece whose commitment to empirical journalism would be unproven at best,” Rosendahl wrote.
Legal experts say Rosendahl’s political motivations in directing the city’s pension funds could run afoul of the Kochs’ First Amendment rights.
A Koch spokesperson declined to comment on the issue.
“The government generally can’t discriminate against government contractors based on the content or viewpoint of the contractors’ speech,” University of California Los Angeles law professor Eugene Volokh said in an email to the Washington Free Beacon.
(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...
And what do you think "L.A.'s metropolitan daily" is now, Bill, ol' buddy, ol' pal?
Um, technically, journalism is not a "creative" discipline.
But, in this case, your point is nonetheless relevant...
ROTFLOL bump!!
A proposal by councilman Bill Rosendahl would allow the city to yank investments by the city’s three pension funds in the Tribune Co., which owns the Times, if the company opts to sell the paper to someone who does not uphold “the highest terms of professional and objective journalism.”
“We cannot support the sale of the Times to entities who Times readers would view as a political transaction first and foremost, turning L.A.’s metropolitan daily into an ideological mouthpiece whose commitment to empirical journalism would be unproven at best,” Rosendahl wrote.First of all, journalism is, was, and always will be politics.Second, the word “sophistry” derives from the Ancient Greek “Sophists” - a term derived from the Greek for “wisdom.” The Sophists fell into disrepute because claiming wisdom for yourself proves that you don’t have wisdom. And, I ask, “Is there any such thing as “unwise objectivity,” or “unobjective wisdom?” If not, the journalists who claim objectivity are actually no different at all from the Sophists spuriously claiming wisdom.
It is legitimate to claim that you are trying to be objective - if indeed you are - but if you claim actually to be objective, you are rejecting the need to try to be objective.
So we can kill the liberal media just by spreading rumors conservatives are going to buy those outlets?
Rock on. :) Someone should spread the rumors the Kochs are gonna buy the New York Times. :)
The Koch brothers are pro-sodomite marriage. But they’re great on economic issues.
I say screw the LA City council. Let ‘em divest. Their city and state are going bankrupt anyway.
OMGG That be great idea sell that rumor to Deadline Hollywood site they were news wire that story about Kocb brothers buy LA Liars in first place ROFL
Good riddance, and to hell with the gubmint pension fund.
Thanks onyx.
INtent is definitely evil and criminal. Method of isolation makes them feel like they boycott as if they were God or Jesus boycotting them out of Heaven. This is how liberals hubristically think of themselves, truly mental disease. Overall effect is positive, however, good riddance indeed. Divest, idiots. But they will not, this is just like idiot Piers Morgan who will not leave America or Obama who we know will never pack up and go and be a bum again.
LOL Where's he been? That describes the LA Times to a tee.
They could buy it and shut it down. Just to piss them off!
Why is anyone surprised?
Fixed.
This is hilarious! If the Koch bros. bought the Times, that paper would be re-directed to balanced coverage for the first time in ages.
And that is what has the liberals so.... effing.... frightened. They will give up their own skin to preserve the status quo.
LOL.
You’re right.
Such an action would give the Koch brothers a windfall in that a large number of shares coming on the market should lower the price of shares being purchased by the brothers.
LOL. Yep.
Maybe part of LAs money problem stems from their current investments in Tribune Company.
LOL! ‘No more ‘rat money-laundering thru Union investments in mouth pieces like LA Times - I mean “objective journalism”’
“it’s an outrage.” :)
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