Tribune Charade
My regular column this week for City Weekly explains the back story of The Salt Lake Tribune’s endorsement on August 12 of Keith Christensen for Salt Lake City mayor.
Some may see my opinion as classic sour grapes because the editorial board did not endorse my stepdaughter/mayoral candidate Jenny Wilson. I hope not. As I pointed out in the column, I firmly believe the Tribune can endorse anyone it chooses. I simply expect the board to come by the decision honestly, and not by some sham interview process. I’d bet the voters would see it this way, too. This editorial came down almost exactly as the Tribune’s puzzling endorsement of George W. Bush for president in 2004 — amounting to an “order up” from publisher Dean “Dinky” Singleton, who spends most of his time in Denver and never even takes part in the candidate interviews.
Newspaper owners and editors are always wringing their hands over why they are losing readers and failing to gain enough new ones. Could it be in part because of the cynical way they make editorial decisions?
August 16th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Not to mention the Trib’s endorsement of Bush BFF and Senate Lifer Orrin Hatch last year.
Way to go, Trib. I’m pretty much ambivalent toward you these days.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Don’t worry. Maybe we can get The Deseret News to enthusiastically endorse Keith Christensen. That should sink him for sure.
August 16th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Holly-
I do not even know where to start on this one. I’m literally flooded with thoughts.
First, your credibility as a third party in this endorsment business is so suspect as to be laughable. Your step-daughter is in the race. I know you mentioned it here, and in your column. But omfg! hahahaha. It bares mentioning multiple times. Further, Anyone who knows your story knows you left the Trib on bad terms. So this endorsement allows you a hatchet job of perfect-storm proportions. I mean, who wouldn’t like to take a shot at their once hated boss, while backing their stepdaughter at the same time? It would have taken a level self-control that is apparently beyond your grasp.
Did you ever consider that, perhaps, Jenny did not do so hot with the Trib Board? Or that Christensen could have outdone her there? For me alone, watching the Politic2.0 debate was enough to convince me that Becker and Christensen “get it” at a level that Jenny Wilson and Dave Buhler do not. Perhaps the Trib Board noticed what many others have.
And I wonder which staffer you talked to? Could one of them have been…Rebecca Walsh? No, it coulnd’t have been the columnist who took over your chair and wrote this piece on Tuesday…http://www.sltrib.com//ci_6618187?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com Could it? I must be freaking Sherlock Holmes or something.
Is it any less cynical that you are now using the City Weekly in the same fashion as you accuse Dean “Dinky” Singleton of? (wait, do you get to have a nifty nickname now too? Holly “Helly” (omfgroflcopter!) Mullen!) I mean, if Dean has made the Trib his rag, certainly the City Weekly is now yours.
I could go on. But the pure hypocracy of expecting readers of the City Weekly and this blog to put aside your GIGANTIC CONFLICT OF INTEREST and take issue with the Tribune’s is absolutely, positively hilarious. It’s endearing that you believe people will look past this.
Anyway, have a great day. Your blog has entertained me at a level I haven’t experienced since I saw “knocked-up” in theaters.
Regards,
Jeff
August 16th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I’ve been waiting for you to comment - I wondered what you thought other than your (understandable) probably annoyance they didn’t pick Jenny. If they didn’t pick Jenny and there was no good process then that’s even worse.
I subscribe to the Trib, these days mostly for Robert Kirby. I tried to read the DN once and about fainted, so I guess I’m stuck.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Oh, I’m pretty sure that they [Salt Lake Tribune] picked someone else besides Jenny because of you, Holly. Just remember that you have a huge fan base and Jenny will shine on her own merits. “Success is the Best Revenge.”
August 30th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
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