GateHouse's identical editorials abused is market power to influence public opinion statewide, a favor to a heavy advertiser (PUBLIX).
GateHouse's identical editorials supporting an advertiser appear to me unethical.
Blatant manipulation in response to the March for Our Lives and the exposure of PUBLIX's bankrolling self-confessed "NRA sellout" Governor candidate Adam Putnam.
Thanks to MIKE KONOPACKI, FOLIO WEEKLY: BACKPAGE EDITORIAL for blowing the whistle on blurred ethical lines at GateHouse.
We must now view the St. Augustine Record, Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union, the Sarasota Herald Tribune, Ocala Star-Banner, Daytona Beach News Journal, the Lakeland Ledger and the Panama City News Herald- which "ran an identical editorial defending Publix"-- and every other GateHouse product with skepticism and a gimlet eye after this report.
Enough flummery, dupery and nincompoopery from GateHouse.
Ask questions. Demand answers. Expect democracy. Now.
As LBJ said to Congress after Selma, "We SHALL overcome!"
BACKPAGE EDITORIAL
Is GateHouse the Sinclair Broadcast Group of Print?
Papers statewide run same editorial supporting Publix, one of its major advertisers
Posted
The website Deadspin created a viral sensation earlier this year when it stitched together a video showing dozens of local TV news anchors spouting an identical pro-Trump editorial bashing "fake news." The stations, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, were forced to air corporate-mandated "must-runs," advocating Sinclair's right-wing political views.
Recently, the Tampa Bay Times broke a story that Publix Supermarkets had contributed $670,000 to Adam Putnam, the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture who is currently in a battle with Rep. Ron DeSantis for the GOP's gubernatorial nomination. In an effort to claim the extreme-right-wing vote, Putnam had previously tweeted that he is a proud #NRASellout! Survivors of the Parkland massacre were outraged by the TBT revelation and called for a boycott of Publix, staging die-ins at several of their stores.
But what the many Florida newspapers owned by GateHouse Media did next was eerily Sinclair-like. Virtually every GateHouse newspaper-Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union, the St. Augustine Record, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Ocala Star-Banner, Daytona Beach News Journal, the Lakeland Ledger and the Panama City News Herald-ran an identical editorial defending Publix.
The editorial, titled "Publix learns politics isn't a pleasure," quoted Publix spokesman Brian West's rationale for its support of Putnam, "Publix has had a long-standing relationship with Commissioner Putnam. We support pro-business candidates, and believe Commissioner Putnam will make a great governor." The GateHouse editorial defended Publix's lavish campaign spending and praised its philanthropy, "Let's not forget that Florida's largest private employer is also one of its leading corporate citizens, contributing millions of dollars each year to house the homeless, feed the hungry, support the developmentally disabled as well as promote literacy, the arts and youth sports."
Let's not forget that Publix is also one of GateHouse's largest advertisers.
Thankfully, some Florida papers rejected the love fest. Both the TBT and the Miami Herald chided Publix for its polarizing politics. Jacksonville's alternative weekly Folio Weekly pointed out that Putnam's immigrant-bashing clashes with Publix's campaign to court Latinos. The Miami New Times gave other reasons to boycott Publix besides the NRA: Its refusal to support the Immokalee farm workers' Fair Food Program that calls for better wages and an end to sexual harassment in the fields; Publix's discrimination against LGBTQ employees and its refusal to cover anti-HIV drugs in its health plan; Publix's fight against local minimum wage laws and environmental protections, and its penchant for donating to other gun-loving Republicans.
However, one GateHouse paper, the Palm Beach Post, refused to kneel to the beloved Publix. Its editorial reminded readers that, "As agriculture commissioner, Putnam oversees regulation of Publix's 800 Florida stores. When a TV station [WFTF Tampa Bay] reported in 2016 that seven Tampa-area Publix stores failed health inspections, Putnam responded the next day by pulling the inspections from the department's website and eliminating the pass/fail grading system. He replaced it six months later with a new rubric. Instead of a failing grade, the worst rating issued now is 're-inspection required.'"
GateHouse Media dismisses money-in-politics as democracy and describes criticism as "an attempt to slime" Publix. But big money breeds corruption and criticism brings results. After LGBTQ groups protested, Publix reversed its HIV decision. After the die-in protests, Publix Supermarkets announced that it was suspending its political contributions.
With Publix out of the picture, what will GateHouse Media do? Perhaps it will issue a "must-run" ordering all its newspapers to endorse Putnam for governor.
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Konopacki is a nationally syndicated labor cartoonist who lives in St. Augustine.
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