Tribune Co. Announcement Presents Major Setback to Koch Brothers' Effort to Take Over LA Times
statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski
“Today's announcement that the Tribune Company is committed to the profitability of its newspaper holdings, including the Los Angeles Times, is a short-term victory for those who believe a free and fair press is vital to our democracy. The announcement is also a setback to the ideologically extreme Koch Brothers who expressed interest in buying the Tribune's newspapers.
“There's no doubt the Kochs' interest in the Times and other papers is driven by their desire to fuel an anti-worker agenda through compromising the integrity of some of America's finest journalistic institutions. And make no mistake, a setback like this won't stop the Kochs from continuing their efforts to hijack freedom of press to push their anti-worker, anti-environment agenda.
“Given the stake working people in California have in what happens with the Tribune newspaper platform, we'll continue partnering with a broad coalition of allies to protect the vital contributions a free press has to our democracy. It's important that the management of the new company is reflective of a commitment to provide fair, unbiased news to the millions that rely upon it. We also need to know more about the financial structure of the new entities, given the importance to investors, many of whom are union members.
“The power of the press should not be used in pursuit of an agenda that's damaging to the interest of all Californians. We're committed to ensuring that if the newspapers are sold at some point, the journalistic integrity that has defined them for decades remains intact.”
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Read more on our blog: Tribune Co. Announces Spin-Off of Newspaper Business; No Immediate Sale to the Koch Brothers