Friday, February 17, 2012

Philadelphia Media Network journalists speak out for editorial integrity

Philadelphia Media Network journalists speak out for editorial integrity

      As Philadelphia Media Network goes up for sale, hundreds of journalists at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com have signed a public statement insisting that the integrity of news reporting at the papers and web site must be guaranteed.
     In a statement signed by nearly 300 editorial employees – an overwhelming majority – the journalists said they had “watched with dismay” as coverage of the sales process was “compromised and censored” in recent weeks. Articles dealing with the sale were ordered killed or had content removed by corporate management over the objections of editors.  
     The statement said that any new ownership must pledge that the paper’s reporting would never be improperly altered to reflect the “private or political interests of owners.”
    Influential business and political figures, including former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, have been bidding to buy the papers.
     The public statement was signed by a broad array of staffers, from top editors to reporters to news assistants.   Those signing included nine Pulitzer Prize winners. UPDATE: More than 100 alumni of The Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com have now signed on in support; their names are below.
     Here is the statement:

       As the only business mentioned in the Bill of Rights, newspapers serve more than private ends.   The news we publish is crucial to civic life, to holding the powerful accountable, to democracy itself.

   That information must be gathered and printed without fear or favor. As The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com have gone up for sale once again, we watched with dismay as our own coverage of the process was compromised and censored.  Our employers promise this won’t happen again. That must be the case.

    Top political and business leaders are now competing to buy Philadelphia Media Network.  Regardless of who emerges as our new owners, they must guarantee that the integrity of our reporting will never be sacrificed to serve their private or political interests.  One thing must be non-negotiable in any sale: our bond of trust with our readers.

   Here are the signers of the public statement.

Alejandro Alvarez, George Anastasia, Phil Anastasia, Ann Applegate, Mike Armstrong, Jenice Armstrong, Tony Auth, Tom Avril, John Baer, Ed Barkowitz, Richard Barron, Karin Barry, Becky Batcha, Sandy Bauers, Chuck Bausman, William Bender, Joe Berkery, Frank  Bertucci, Kevin  Bevan, Daniel Biddle, Michelle Bjork, Kathy Boccella, Les Bowen, Kamala Boyer, Barbara Boyer, Kathy Brady Shea, Chris Brennan, Bob Brookover, Harold  Brubaker, Michael Bryant, Will Bunch, Kevin Burkett, Stacey Burling, Melanie Burney, Cynthia  Burton, Julie Busby, Stu Bykofsky, Anthony Campisi, Sam Carchidi, George Carter, Bob Caughron, Sterling Chen, Rose Ciotta, Sandy  Clark, Vernon Clark, Ed Colimore, Laurie Conrad, Russell Cooke, Bob Cooney, Porus Cooper, Joshua Cornfield, Ron  Cortes, Angela Couloumbis, Nick Cristiano, Chuck Darrow, Carolyn Davis, Michael Days, Virginia Delavan, Francisco Delgado, Dan DeLuca, Tirdad Derakhshani, Jim DeStefano, Rhonda Dickey, Dana DiFilippo, Joseph DiStefano, Hai Do, Peter Dobrin, Sam Donnellon, Lidija Dorjkhand, Sally Downey, Melissa Dribben, John Duchneskie and Ellen Dunkel.

Molly Eichel, Steve Elliott, Jenny Ewing Elliott, Stephen Falk, Stephanie Farr, Joelle Farrell, Mark Fazlollah, Bob Fernandez, Kevin Ferris,  Robert Filarsky, Tony Fitts, Thomas Fitzgerald, Maureen Fitzgerald, Faye Flam, Bob Ford, Chip Fox, Paula Fuchsberg, T.J. Furman, Kerith Gabriel, David Gambacorta, Joe Gambardello,  Jeff Gammage, John Gayusky, Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel, Matt Gelb, Jeffrey Gelles, Howard Gensler, Dan Geringer, Rita Giordano, Sarah Glover, Steve Glynn, Josh Gohlke, Michael Gold, Nathan Gorenstein, Troy Graham, Kristen Graham, Tom Gralish, Ellen Gray, Cynthia Greer, Kia Gregory, Donald Groff, Dan  Gross, Thom Guarnieri, Kathy Hacker, Dan  Hardy, Denise Harper, Michael Harrington, Al Hasbrouck, Linda Hasert, Alan Heavens, Jan Hefler, Karen Heller, Cynthia Henry, Chris Hepp, Miriam Hill, Ed Hille, Michael Hinkelman, Rich Hofmann, Kristin Holmes, Harold  Jackson, Michael Jensen, Annette John-Hall, Gar Joseph, Joe Juliano, Amy Junod, Reid Kanaley, Rob Kandel, Vincent Kasper, Matt Katz, Richard Kauffman, Steve Kelly, Larry Kesterson, William Kettelberger, Yong Kim, Michael  Klein, Rebecca Klock, Tracy Koontz,  aMark Kram, Frank Kummer and Chris Kupferer.

Craig LaBan, Barbara Laker, Brent Larson, Mike Leary, Esther Lee, Vance Lehmkuhl, Brian Leighton, Debi Licklider, Jennifer Lin, Ken Lockerby, Emilie Lounsberry, Linda Loyd, Alfred Lubrano, Phillip Lucas, Catherine Lucey, Tom Mahon, David Maialetti, Alen Malott, Dianna  Marder, Kelly Margolis, John Martin, Diane Mastrull, Michael Matza, Andrew Maykuth, Pat Mazurek, Craig  McCoy, Marie McCullough, Lauren McCutcheon, Jeffrey McLane, Joanne McLaughlin, Pat McLoone, Tom McNamara, Drew  McQuade, Regina Medina, Michael Mercanti, David Merrell, Virginia Micke, Gary Miles, John  Mitchell, Chris Mondics, Robert  Moran, Jack Morrison, Peter Mucha, Matt Mullin, David Murphy, Clem Murray, Walter Naedele, Jason Nark, Michael Newall, Paul Nussbaum, Rick O'Brien, David O'Reilly, James Osborne, Maria Panaritis, Suzette Parmley, Mark Perner, Ryan Petzar, Nancy Phillips, Sinclair  Pitts, Mike Placentra, Michael Plunkett, Ronnie Polaneczky, Keith Pompey, Gary Potosky, Michael Potter, David Lee Preston, Leigh Primavera, Ashley Primis, Dylan Purcell, Andrew Putz and John Quinn.

Lou Rabito, David Ralis, Jan Ransom, Amy Raudenbush, Steven Rea, Kevin Riordan, Jim Remsen, Daniel Rodgers, Jeremy Roebuck, Matt Romanoski, Avery Rome, Amy S. Rosenberg, Lynn Ross, Michael Rozansky, Dan Rubin, Trudy Rubin, Cathy Rubin, Wendy Ruderman, Roslyn Rudolph, Valeria Russ, Inga Saffron, Stephan Salisbury, Don Sapatkin, April Saul, Mari Schaefer, Michael Schaffer, Addam Schwartz, David Sell, Frank Seravalli, Howard Shapiro, Julie Shaw, Phil Sheridan, Jeff Shields, Cheryl Shugars, Ted Silary, Darran Simon, Joseph  Slobodzian, Elizabeth Slocum, John Smallwood, Robin Smith, Virginia Smith, Susan Snyder, Jon Snyder, Allison Steele, Albert Stumm, Scott Sturgis, David Sullivan, David Swanson, Susan Syrnick, Jonathan Tamari, Joseph Tanfani, Jonathan Tannenwald,  Miriam Tarver, John Tierno, Brian Toolan, Michele Tranquilli, Reid Tuvim, Jacqueline Urgo, Claudia Vargas, Bob Vetrone, Michael Vitez, Jane M. Von Bergen, Bob Warner, David Warren, Ed Weiner, Jonathan Weir, Elizabeth Wellington, Suzanne Weston, Frank Wiese, Signe Wilkinson, Michael Wirtz, Tony Wood, Martha Woodall, Deb Woodell, Amy  Worden, Monica Yant Kinney, Morgan Zalot, Mike Zebe and Barry Zukerman.

  UPDATE: The statement has also now been signed by a number of former journalists at The Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. These include: Eugene Roberts, Maxwell E.P. King, Robert J. Rosenthal, William K. Marimow,  Gene Foreman,  Acel Moore, Linda Wright Moore, Thomas J. Gibbons Jr.,  Doug Robinson, David Zucchino, Tom Ginsberg, Anthony Gnoffo, Yvonne Latty, Christine Johnson-Hall, Phaedra Trethan, Paula Goff,  Jeff Weinstein, David Bianculli, Mary Bishop, Ken Bookman,  Clea Benson, Marguerite Del Giudice, Clark DeLeon, Donald Drake, Lois Wark,  Thomas Wark, Tim Dwyer, Carole Fleck, Larry King, Bob Frump, Bill Eddins, William Thomas Cain, Liz Lacey-Osler, Jim Naughton, Jodi Enda, Dick Polman, Suzanne Sataline, Luisita Lopez Torregrosa, Richard Ben Cramer,  Gwen Knapp, Jeff Brown, Mark Wagenveld, Ann Kolson, Joyce Gemperlein, Henry J. Holcomb, Pam Byrne, Andy Geller, Henry Goldman, Douglas Pike, Amy Wang, Murray Dubin, Thomas J. Walsh, Rich Aregood, Linda K. Harris,  Hank Klibanoff, Margaret Grace, Kathleen Shea Aregood, Howard Goodman, Peter Nicholas, Bob Schwabach, Glenn Guzzo, Gerald Jordan, Bill Lyon, Frederick Mann, Bob Martin, Dan Meyers, Arlene Morgan, Rick Nichols, Michael Pakenham, Charles Petzoid, Dana Reddington, John Russial, Joel Shurkin, Rob Waters, Jane Shoemaker, Michael Sokolove, Trish Wilson, Bill Wunsch, Doreen Carvajal, Gwen Florio, Leslie West Hoffecker, Dan LeDuc,  Gary Farrugia, Debbie M. Price, Larry C. Price, Joe Logan, Stephen Seplow, Larry Eichel, Barbara Beck, Joyce Gemperlein, Jill Gerston,  Butch Ward, Mark Bowden, CS Manegold, Rick Lyman, Tim Weiner, Jill Kirschenbaum, Chris Gray Faust, Fran Dauth, Monica Rhor, Sharon O'Neal, Patricia McLaughlin, David Cohen, Tom Ferrick Jr., Don Clippinger, Anne Barnard, Connie Langland, John McQuiggan, Dale Mezzacappa, Marti Stewart, Bob Drogin, John V.R. Bull, Patricia Banks, Cindy Deifenderfer and Daniel Victor.


Contacts

Craig McCoy            (e-mail: craigmccoy7@comcast.net)
Joseph Tanfani       (e-mail: jtanfani@gmail.com)
Wendy Ruderman  (e-mail: wendyruderman@gmail.com)
Mark Fazlollah (e-mail: fazlollah@msn.com)
Amy S. Rosenberg  (e-mail: arose427@gmail.com)

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