An editor brought in by the management of the Las Vegas Review-Journal told the staff to avoid looking like it’s “out to get our owner” Sheldon Adelson, CNN and Huffington Post reported based on staff accounts.
In a statement to Huffington Post Monday, Providence Journal executive editor David Butler rebutted claims that he had told staff to let up on their coverage of Adelson but he said he told staff that “there is a balance for all coverage and we ought never want to look churlish.”
He also told CNN that “some folks are still nearly hysterical” and that the “staff had a lot of pent-up venting to do and this was their chance.”
Earlier in the day, Las Vegas Review-Journal staffer Stephanie Grimes live-tweeted the meeting, including instructions by Butler — whose paper is owned by the Review-Journal’s previous owners (which will continue to manage the Review-Journal under the new ownership) and who reportedly has been brought in temporarily to help with the transition — for covering the Adelsons’ purchase of the paper.
Butler said he didn’t mean for this process to become a “public” thing with readers looking in
— stephanie grimes (@stephgrimes) January 4, 2016
Butler is concerned about looking like we’re “out to get our owner”: “How often do we need to mention the owners”
— stephanie grimes (@stephgrimes) January 4, 2016
Reporters kick back with concern that transparency means being clear about owner when owner may have vested interest in what we’re covering
— stephanie grimes (@stephgrimes) January 4, 2016
Butler: “Local owners is different than corporate ownership … You have to acknowledge that”
— stephanie grimes (@stephgrimes) January 4, 2016
Butler again re: disclosure: “We need to keep in mind (locals) are going to know (ownership) after you keep repeating it for a year”
— stephanie grimes (@stephgrimes) January 4, 2016
Butler: “It’s not like you’re in a town where you have no TV stations …” re: how our news coverage of cases involving adelson might change
— stephanie grimes (@stephgrimes) January 4, 2016
Two anonymous sources present at the meeting confirmed to CNN Grimes’ description of it.
Butler also told CNN via email that it was “unfortunate that what was billed as a private meeting was widely broadcast,” but said he putting together a proposal for new guidelines for the paper.
“Some folks are still nearly hysterical, as you might understand, and I did say let’s just calm down a bit,” he said.
