By: Joel Davis White May Be Fired For 'Horse Trading' With Mayor
SAN FRANCISCO - Hearst Newspapers suspended San Francisco
Examiner Publisher and Editor Timothy White on Tuesday, following
his testimony that he offered San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown positive
editorial backing in exchange for the mayor's support of Hearst's
purchase of the San Francisco Chronicle. The company said he may
be fired pending an internal investigation.
Hearst said White, in charge of the Examiner since January 1999,
would take 'an indefinite leave of absence' beginning immediately. The
New York-based company said White's duties will be handled by George
Irish, president of Hearst Newspapers.
Hearst spokeswoman Debra Shriver told E&P Online that White was
suspended for possibly breaching the company's ethics policy and not
because his testimony put Hearst, which owns the Examiner, in an
unflattering light. 'Neither our news nor our editorials can be
compromised under any circumstances,' Shriver said. She said the
situation is being reviewed and White could be fired.
White's testimony came Monday, the opening day of San Francisco real
estate developer Clint Reilly's antitrust lawsuit in federal court
seeking to halt the sale of the Chronicle to Hearst and Hearst's
simultaneous sale of the Examiner to the Fang family,
In a quickly prepared press release, Hearst said it has 'reaffirmed its
policy that the content of news and editorial pages may not be
negotiated or compromised in any way. If such a conversation occurred,
it was a serious breach of Hearst's policy. San Francisco
Examiner Executive Editor Phil Bronstein, who was present
throughout the meeting in question, states emphatically that there were
no negotiations of press coverage of any kind. Hearst is looking into
the matter and will take further action as appropriate.'
Attorneys for Reilly said White made similar comments to the Department
of Justice when it was approving the sale and that White could have
returned to court to retract the statement, but opted not to. 'If White
was confused, he had an opportunity to come back and say he made a
mistake,' Reilly attorney Daniel Shulman said. 'He didn't do that.'
Joseph M. Alioto, Reilly's lead attorney, added that Hearst 'has got to
run from everything' and that the media company is attempting to
'sacrifice Mr. White and put the blame on him.'
White testified that he made a 'horse trade' with Mayor Brown as Alioto
grilled him at length over Hearst's tactics before and after the
company's $660 million purchase of the Chronicle last August.
The trial is expected to last up to three weeks.
Related stories:
HEARST TRIED TO BLUFF CHRONICLE OWNERS (05/02/00)
JUDGE BEGINS HEARING IN ANTITRUST SUIT (05/01/00)
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