Ex-'Inky' Editor: New Ownership Of Philly Papers Could Be 'Dangerous'

By: Joe Strupp Former Philadelphia Inquirer Editor Robert Rosenthal, who spent 22 years at the paper, said the sale to a local investors group could prove problematic.

"It is a unique situation and I don't think it is necessarily a great one for journalism," said Rosenthal, who is currently managing editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. "Many of them are some of the most influential business people in Philadelphia and people who actively support politicians locally and nationally."

The veteran editor called the situation "very interesting and dangerous ... at times." He said it would be interesting "to see where the paths and relationships cross when it comes to the owners' relationships in the city and where the journalism leads." He added, "I don't think there is a situation like this in the country where the ownership group is so much a part of the political and economic power structure of a city."

In addition, Rosenthal called the leader of the investment group, Brian Tierney, a "fierce advocate who is used to getting his own way....I can't imagine a guy like Brian Tierney taking a back seat and letting things get in the paper that he is unhappy with," Rosenthal told E&P just hours after the deal was announced. "He was a very fierce advocate for his clients, there was nothing subtle about him -- elbows and knees."

Tierney served as national head of Catholics for Bush in 2000 and has been active in other Republican campaigns. He served as chairman of Sam Katz's unsuccessful run for mayor of the city in 2003, and has represented Sunoco and other large companies. According to the Inquirer, he has donated over $200,000 to Republican candidates in recent years. One of the other leading members of the purchase group, Bruce Toll, has also been a key Republican funder in he state, but two other investors have given to Democrats.

On Tuesday, Tierney vowed to not impose his partisan views on the newspaper and keep it independent of pressure from business interests, with his co-owners signing a pledge to that effect.

Rosenthal tangled with Tierney years ago when the Inquirer was sued by a former reporter, Ralph Cipriano, over a story Cipriano wrote about the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The suit ended in a settlement in which the Inquirer paid Cipriano $7 million. Tierney, who runs a major public relations firm, had handled P.R. for the church and dealt with Rosenthal on that and other stories.

Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, in an interview with E&P then, praised Tierney for keeping one of Cipriano's critical stories out of the Inquirer. Tierney told E&P at that time that religious organizations and non-profits should be covered differently than other institutions.

Cipriano had sued the paper after Rosenthal made comments to The Washington Post that were critical of Cipriano's work on the Archdiocese story. The reporter, who was fired, had complained about the paper refusing to publish some elements of his reporting, which included accusations that money had been wrongly spent by the church.

"I have no idea how he views journalism," Rosenthal said of Tierney. "Or whether he will be hands-on in terms of his interests or friends."

Tierney led the formation of the Philadelphia Media Holdings, which announced today its purchase of the Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News from McClatchy for $562 million. The investment group also includes a number of major Philadelphia business and political leaders, including Bruce E. Toll, who owns several of auto dealerships; Hamilton Lane Advisors founder Leslie E. Brun; and Aramark Corp. chairman Joseph Neubauer, according to the Inquirer.

Rosenthal said the owners have their hands in such volatile issues as labor, politics, development and other business circles, which may cause problems with balanced coverage. "A lot of those people involved in owning the paper do have and will have involvement in those issues," he said. "The danger is whose toes are going to get stepped on. Perception is something very powerful, whether it is real or not. People who own the paper now are deeply embedded in many of the issues that confront Philadelphia and have a personal stake."

According to one of Tierney's online bios, "Early in his career, Brian worked in Washington, D.C. for the Republican National Committee and was a Presidential appointee to the U.S. Small Business Administration." The president was Reagan. His P.R. firm designed the Web site for the Republican National Convention that nominated George W. Bush in Philadelphia in August 2000.

Tierney told the Inquirer last month that he was proud of his "passionate" work to promote the Republican Party and the Catholic Church. He also said he had "independent" views and would not compromise the newspapers' integrity.

Zach Stalberg, the former editor of The Daily News and now president of the Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan local civic watchdog group, told The New York Times on Tuesday, referring to Tierney: "He's an honorable guy, and he knows the world will be watching."