You got to feel for Russ Stanton. He comes from nowhere to land one of the plum jobs in American journalism as editor of the Los Angeles Times just as the bottom falls out of the industry.
So he's facing round after round of staff cuts and worsening morale and the challenge of reinventing the newspaper in the Internet age and then BANG -- the Times' shoddy journalistic practices blow up in his face.
First, there was the Chuck Philips fiasco. Philips is a reporter who has been repeatedly accused of carrying the water for the such questionable characters as Suge Knight in the rap music scene wars that led to the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls among others,
Yet, the Times apparently did nothing to investigate allegations Philips breached industry ethical standards. I say apparently because when Philips earlier this year wrote a story accusing Sean "Puffy" Combs of complicity in a criminal attack on Shakur, only one senior editor vetted it for content and it went up online and ultimately into the paper.
It didn't take long before the blogosphere exposed several fatal problems: The story was based on falsified documents and anonymous sources, and was so badly reported that the Times had to run a front-page retraction. It now faces enormous costs to settle the matter.
And now accusations that are potentially even more serious have surfaced that grow out of the Anthony Pellicano case, the Hollywood private eye who ran roughshod over the law and common decency in numerous cases involving celebrity clients.
The probe of Pellicano began after then Times reporter Anita Busch was threatened to scare her off a story. With Pellicano's conviction last week, Busch went public with her experiences in an interview with blogger Patrick Frey at Patterico.com. She called for an investigation into Pellicano's relationships with Philips, Editorial Page Editor Jim Newton, Newton's wife Karlene Goller who is the Times' in-house lawyer and other journalists.
In a series of posts in recent days at Patterico.com, Frey, a Los Angeles County prosecutor, has questioned Philips' relationship with Pellicano and why he wrote stories challenging the government's case against him; why after Pellicano was indicted for the threat against Busch, Goller suggested the private eye be hired to investigate the threat against Busch, and why Newton kept a gift of a paperweight from Pellicano on his desk long after he was suspected in the Busch threat.
Busch herself issued a new statement Sunday suggesting that Pellicano's long-term ties to journalists at the Times influenced how the paper reacted when she was threatened and how it covered elements of the story.
"I suggest that the paper hire a panel of outside ethicists, journalists and experts to investigate," Busch said. "Pellicano and his clients used and abused the media to destroy their targets. Other victims know well of what I speak. Other journalists know, too. And journalists are the ones who must shine a light on this."
Questions about how current and former Times reporters and editors work in tandem with each other have been raised often enough before.
In one particular case I know about through my friendship with Doug Dowie, one of three former Fleishman-Hillard public relations executives convicted of mail fraud involving the Department of Water and Power, the story that led to the investigation was done by the Times and relied heavily on anonymous sources who had worked at the Times and at Fleishman-Hillard.
The sources included journalists with inter-connected relationships with each other and with Newton and Goller and the reporters on the story Ralph Frammolino and Ted Rohrlich. Surely the credibility of those sources faced little scrutiny because of those relationships.
It was the use of anonymous sources that also was a big part of the problem with Philips' attack on Combs. An edict went out when the story blew up about limiting the use of anonymous sources, one that has had to be repeated yet again since then.
In the full name of disclosure, I also am a close friend of author Randall Sullivan who has challenged Philips' reporting on the rap music scene wars for years.
Beyond that, I have many times in private and often enough in public accused the Times of criminal neglect of the city, of failing in what I believe to be the sacred mission of a newspaper, of every journalist, which is to be the public's watchdog and stand for the greater good of the community.
For all those reasons I am writing about the problems facing the Times as it tries to restore its journalistic credibility. And because I'm the former editor of the Times' largest competitor in the L.A. market I'm wondering if the Times will continue to try to minimize the problem by ignoring it or whether Stanton will actually dig into the paper's reporting and editing processes and how the relationships among the stuff and their sources and former colleagues affect the truth and accuracy of their coverage.
It seems to me Stanton faces a daunting challenge. He so far has not taken action as far as we know against Philips or the person who edited his piece. While Newton has scoffed at any suggestion of impropriety in an email to Patterico.com, Stanton has yet to publicly acknowledge any problem in the Busch-Pellicano case.
I think he is making a mistake by not seizing on this moment to make the L.A. Times the kind of paper the city needs so badly, has needed for so long -- one that articulates a vision for a greater L.A., that exposes how the narrow power structure works against the interests of the majority of the people, that stands up for the values of ordinary people.
For most of the first 100 years of its existence, the Times was the mouthpiece for a small band of greedy right-wing extremists that included its owner, the Chandler family. For the last 40 years, it has been the voice of L.A.'s new establishment of liberal elitists. That's why I say that a newspaper with its reach and dominance bears a great deal of the responsibility for the state of the city.
Stanton needs to deal quickly and severely with those he knows have committed serious ethical and journalistic violations. And Busch is right, he needs to bring in tough outsiders with extensive newsroom experience to examine how the Times editorial staff really operates to look after itself and to pander to sources.
That's what has been exposed in recent events. The city needs the Times to become an L.A. paper as new owner Sam Zell has said, instead of the Global Times or New York Times West. And it needs the Times to become a real newspaper that respects and serves the whole community.
Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News where he spent 23 years helping to make the newspaper the voice of the San Fernando Valley and fighting for a city government that serves the people and not special interests.
Twice in recent years, Los Angeles Magazine listed Kaye among the city’s most influential people, specifically in the area of politics. Kaye has been variously described in the media as the “accidental anarchist,” “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley” and a “passionate populist.” He is now committed to
carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen. Previously, Ron worked at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,
Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Australian as well as papers
in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yakima, Wash. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine, The Guardian in London and the Naitonal Enquirer.
The Times story on FH was terrible and under it's current sourcing guidelines could have never been published.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, it was based on only one named source: junior account executive Diana Greenwood, the daughter of former LA Times senior editor Noel Greenwood. All the other sources were anonymous.
Diana Greenwood had been hired at FH by Senior Vice President Carol Stogsdill, who had worked closely with Noel Greenwood when she was a senior editor at the LA Times and remained close personal friends. Stogsdill's wedding reception was hosted Karlene Goller, the LA Times inside counsel. Stogsdill is also very close to Goller's husband, Jim Newton.
Diana Greenwood, who had been at FH less than a year before quitting to join a competitor, told the paper that DWP bills were written up. Despite the fact that Greenwood reported directly to Stogsdill on the DWP account -- and everyone at the Times knew Stogsdill worked at FH -- Stogsdill's name never appeared in the story. Unless Ralph Frammolino and Ted Rohrlich, the reporters who spent months reporting the story, never talked to her, which is almost impossible to believe, it appeared obvious that Stogsdill was an anonymous source -- and her many conflicts were never revealed. Both Frammolino and Rohrlich worked for Stogsdill at the Times. Everybody was conflicted.
Then there's former Times editor Fred Muir. He had worked for the Times alongside Rohrlich and Frammmolino for years before joining FH as a senior vice president. During the trial of Dowie and Stodder, he testified under oath that he was indeed one of the paper's anonymous sources -- and also admitted under cross examination that they he had actually personally written up bills! There it was, under oath: one of paper's own sources confessing to the same crime he accused others of under the cloak of anonymity! The Times, which covered every day of trial, ignored his testimony
I think The Times can restore its credibility, but will it?
That's the real question.
I used to be a subscriber but have decided to try The Daily News instead (mostly online).
The Times' stories are frequently irrelevant to my little life. I'd like to read more stories about the schools--not just the schools of LA Unified but all the other ones in the area. I'll bet a lot of parents would like to read the good and bad about what's going on at the schools.
The Times did do a great thing by allowing the blog about every murder in L.A. That was a great idea. And I loved the series about the mess at King-Drew hospital.
Plus, ya gotta love that Steve Lopez. His commentaries are wonderful. So I don't think The Times is going down the toilet completely, but in a city full of little pockets of corruption hither and yon, editors do have to be careful they are not unconsciously joining any culture of corruption they find.
9:33, you've got to be kidding about the Daily News. Yes, it covers a wider area, but is written at a fifth-grade level and since Ron left, is worse than the Times -- sorry, but I wanted to give her a chance, but Carolina Garcia is just as much Hispanic- oriented as people feared. It's like she's part of the Mayor/ Mexican Mafia/ PR machine. Their stories don't even distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, and don't inform about anything at all.
Sure, Beth Barrett published all the city staffs' salaries online, but little came out of it except that there are hundreds of people overpaid with 6 figures. Nothing about the P C politics that are against the will of the people, the real underpinnings of our fiscal crisis: in fact, their trying to blame our whole financial problems on overpaid staff comes off as a distrtraction -- though it's part of the truth, the unions and excessive lifetime pensions. But as readers keep pointing out, the real problem is that the city is half Hispanic immigrant, mostly illegal and their recent anchor babies, while 3/4 of the LAUSD population and birth rates are.
These are who we're subsidizing at health clinics and hospitals, while Arnold's plan calls for old people who are citizens getting kicked out of MediCare long-term facilities, and denying them in-home care (even the LA Times mentioned that, the Daily News didn't); Arnold is trying to minimize the damage by denying non-ER services to illegals here less than 5 years, but that status can't be checked and enforced, is a meaningless sop to public opinion. As just one example.
The Daily News also totally failed to EVEN MENTION that another part of Arnold's plan is to swipe LA's surplus gas tax AGAIN this year, like he did last summer, for a total of $2 BILLION -- that was supposed to go to Transportation fixes, like the buses that are being cut back, overrun by Mexicans to the breaking point, where they do run (See D. J. Waldie's Opinion piece on the challenges of being bus-dependent in this city, in THE TIMES today). The money was also promised for road repairs, and towards our desperately needed subway/ Expo Line completions, to make up the costs of the Light Rail in Boyle Heights, etc. The Times DID feature all that in its report.
The DN does carry Doug McIntyre which it inherited from the last administration, that's it.
The Daily News never mentioned how Rocky Delgadillo sabbotaged, and directly went against the orders of, the City Council on the billboards issue more than once: ordered to get his ClearChannel/CBS Outdoors buddies to remove the estimated 4000 illegals they have up, to pay the legally mandated inspection fees, and to create a list -- he gave them a deal to put up MORE illegal billboards, including 800 7-story lighted ones, without safety or community consideration. AND ClearChannel's suing the city anyway. Why? Maybe because they got Rocky elected by donating a $half million to his campaign, and recently threw him a VERY UNSEEMLY Thank you party. The Times' David Zahniser, L A Weekly's Jill Stewart and Christine Pelisek, and others DID COVER THAT.
The DN also never goes after the Supervisors or DA Steve Cooley, who's running for office without any coverage at all. Despite very serious allegations from both his challengers, Asst. DA Steve Ipsen (the respected Pres. of the Assoc. of Ass't. DA's) and Albert Robles, MS. Robles says that Cooley is running the dept. like the head of a Third World syndicate, and is backed up by Ipsen.
There was a 2-part, one-hour program on our very own Ch. 36 public TV station, "Full Disclosure," hosted by nice elderly lady Leslie Dutton tonight interviewing both candidates.
www:fulldisclosure.net
Pretty amazing stuff, not covered by either major paper, but at least the Times touched very gingerly on a few of the allegations in their article today: the DN would never do so and, if anything, endorse Cooley precisely for the major failing Ipsen and Robles pointed out: HIS REFUSAL TO TOUCH THE ISSUE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN GANGS, let alone any enforcement of ICE laws.
Giving credence to allegations by Mr. Shaw, Sr., written off by many as his misunderstanding, Ipsen says Cooley won't touch anything that would upset any powerful interests, and this is top of the list. We will have NO relief on gangs if he's re-elected another 4 years. (Refusal to touch the Catholic pedophile scandals or Belmont Toxic Waste scandal are other deliberate hands-off areas; he also refuses to prosecute environmental crimes against big companies, or the multi-million dollar recycling skimming scandal going on -- he took a crackerjack investigator off that case, Ipsen alleges.)
Other specific allegations: Cooley has hundreds of investigators and a thousand lawyers on his staff, and he could easily per both challengers, ID and work with ICE to deport illegal gangbangers, but refuses to touch it for political reasons, just blames the Sheriffs. INSTEAD, he uses his investigtor goons to harass his Asst. DA's -- like Ipsen -- calling them out of court cases even to "question them" in a clear attempt to humiliate and intimidate.
Cooley uses Asst. DA's as private chauffeurs and the investigators as bodyguards, to drive him all over town to parties so he can get drunk and not drive. He uses them as personal staff in many cases. Anyone who questions, gets a "visit."
Cooley pointedly refused to attend the recent international/national summit on gangs convened by the Mayor, Bratton and even City Attorney dumbo Rocky -- he refuses to cooperate with other law enforcement. Instead, he sent his goons to try to intimidate and prevent Leslie Dutton of "Full Disclosure" from filming and documenting the event! (The guy sounds like a paranoid nutcase.)
Cooley's major contributors are the criminal lawyers who try cases against his prosecutors, and if any of his cases get too close, he calls his lawyers off. Ipsen alleges that's what's behind Cooley's promising to prosecute the big fish if he beat Gil Garcetti, but backing off the officials in BEll, Cudahy, etc. who Ipsen and Robles allege, are working for and paid by the MExican Mafia and drug Cartels. Why? They're represented by Cooley's friends and contributors.
Cooley just demanded a huge raise for himself despite the financial crisis (while many of his prosecutors remain low-paid), just so his ego can say he's the highest-paid public prosecutor in Calif., as high as the Federal Chief Justice almost.
Why did the Supervisors grand this, no question? Allegedly, a tacit understanding that he won't investigate them if they leave him alone, too.
RON, THIS IS THE BIG STORY THAT NEITHER PAPER HAS TOUCHED, BUT THE DAILY NEWS EVEN LESS. PLEASE COVER THE RACE FOR DA AND INTERVIEW CHALLENGERS IPSEN AND ROBLES, break the "big" story the MSM won't touch. If you're not afraid -- and why should you be, now?
As a resident of LACity since 1955, and the SFV since 1966, I have watched it go downhill from the earlier days. Our Mayor is no Sam Yorty, and Bratton is no Gates. Today's Ron Kaye story of the LATIMES is so true, and next week, the LADAILYNews will probably be through as well. From the front page through the Sports section,this morniing, the only name I knew was Orlov's. The newspapers have joined hands with the cynical in our society - "what's in it for me" crowds. So much for the old concept of exposing graft, mediocrity and the criminals, as well as informing the citizenry of heros, distinction and opportunities. Home team news as well.
Now I am not going to wait for the other shoe to drop, I will remain confident that somehow "We shall overcome". But it will be up to us to save ourselves. Are we up to it That is the question.
I wouldn't rely on anything Rick Orlov writes as I've named him Rick "Rewrite City Press Leases" Orlov.
Last mayoral election... the DN gave hardly any space to Walter Moore. I even wrote Orlov and said there need to be more. His stock answer, Moore hadn't raised enough money to get coverage.
To which, I wrote him back that it's hard to get one without the other, and voters need info on all the candidates.
As far as "over coming" goes, there are so many more of "them" than there are of "us."
Just look at how Villaragosa and Bratton scammed us on the phoney phone tax, and Zine double crossed everyone.
If either he or the other councilman had stuck to their guns on the phone tax and voted 'no' as they said they would before the mayor "private talked" both into voting "yes." I would like to know what sleazy deal he made with them that was in their special interest, and not in our interests to get both to change their votes.
You hit the nail on the head with the criminal negligence regarding the Times' vague reporting on City Hall, Ron. But are you really seeing significance in that Pellicano paper weight? What's it made of, gold?
1:22: In defense of Orlov, who obviously truncated his reply to your Walter Moore question, which was, in fact, very fair and one of the most common to the media during almost all campaigns, it is the role of the candidate to show is viability, especially if his first run for office is not only poorly financed but also for mayor of the nation's second largest city, not the media's role to anoint him. If Moore's candidacy had legs, it would be covered. If you need a further explanation, give Ralph Nader a call.
And while I'm here, the point thomjourno isn't that it was a cheap gift. the point is that it was on the desk of the guy married to karlene goller, who according to Anita Busch, wanted to bring Pellicano into the Times investigation of Busch's harassment. If the Times was writing this story, they might have led on the anecdote.
For anonymous at 10:10----
Listen, I know both papers are guilty of totally ignoring the news that is important to all of us. You're right. I guess they don't care, or they think that writing about entertainment is where the cash is, or who knows what motivates them.
However, only in the DN can I read about the 3 boys who raped the girl in the Mason Park bathroom. Were I editor of the DN I would be assigning reporters to follow up on that story to the hilt. Find out how much kids are hanging out at the parks when they are out of school. Find out if other parks across the country have installed surveillance cameras to deal with the kids who hang out there. Find out how the 3 males figured out how to drug the girls and where they got the drugs.
Find out what the principal, teachers and peers of these students have to say about them.
But I doubt either the DN or the Times would ever devote so much attention to a story like this. Why?
I don't know. It seems like news to me.
But I guess they'd rather report on Brittany and Lindsey. It's trash. It's total trash and I just want you to know that I know it.
However, the DN at least gives me local trash.