A Jerry Maguire-like treatise for how to resurrect the media’s credibility

Famed political strategist James Carville once referred to Pennsylvania as two major cities with Alabama in between.  What an insult to Alabama.

The folks in the nation’s fifth-largest state --- all of them --- are the backwards ones, the sad result of refusing to hold their leaders accountable for broken campaign promises and abject failures. All the while, their neighboring states --- AKA “the competition” --- continue to make gains at Pennsylvania’s expense.

Ohio and West Virginia are successfully courting natural gas and oil companies, which are beginning to exit Pennsylvania. Indiana is thriving after enacting comprehensive statewide school choice and becoming a Right To Work state, where compulsory unionism is no required as a condition of employment.

New Jersey (yes, Jersey!) can woo companies across the river because of faith that a real leader, Chris Christie, is righting the ship.  Everyone else on the planet can buy liquor easier and cheaper than Pennsylvanians.  And corruption, both criminal and institutionalized, remains rampant, killing optimism and trampling the hope that you can beat City Hall.

From Ed Rendell to Tom Corbett (is there a difference?), a lack of leadership has left Pennsylvania on the precipice, its citizens staring into the abyss of permanent mediocrity, paralyzed by fear to take the risks necessary to forge ahead. Such a malaise is anathema to employers looking for economic stability, a less hostile atmosphere and a better educational system. 

While that lack of leadership is inexcusable, there is another, even more important factor as to why the state finds itself in such a precarious situation: a media that has sold its soul, forsaking its most basic mission of holding everyone accountable, with a “no sacred cows” approach. For far too long, stories that needed to be told were relegated to the dustbin. And unsavory politicians and business leaders counted on that. Without an aggressive press, it was, and remains, the Wild West where bad guys operate with impunity.

There is no better example of the media’s fall from grace than that of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Once a paper of national significance that took a bulldog approach to its reporting, it has since become a shell of its former self, an also-ran full of AP feeds and local fluff stories of virtually no interest. 

The Inky really jumped the tracks was when it was “led” by Brian Tierney, who, along with investors, paid over half a billion for the paper (and the Daily News) in 2006.

Mired in debt, Tierney did the unthinkable --- he approached then-Governor Rendell for a taxpayer-funded bailout to keep the papers afloat in 2009, a story that Freindly Fire broke ( http://freindlyfirezone.com/home/item/43-possible-inquirer-bailout-draws-ire ) and was picked up by the Wall Street Journal in its harshly-worded editorial “Bad News In Philadelphia --- The Worst Bailout Idea So Far: Newspapers.”

WSJ Link
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123353263226537457.html

Predictably, Rendell was ready and willing to lend that helping hand.  But as negative fallout for the bailout plan grew, the deal fell apart and the papers filed for bankruptcy.

Despite what common sense unquestionably tells us --- that a taxpayer-funded newspaper would in fact be an “adjunct of the state,” as the WSJ so adroitly described it --- the players in that ill-fated bailout attempt saw nothing wrong with their actions.

Thankfully, Tierney is out of the picture, having lost the papers to an investor group who held much of the original debt.  But incomprehensibly, the situation has come full circle. Now the current owners want out, and it has been reported that none other than Ed Rendell has been approached to put together an investor group to possibly buy the papers.

Really?  Ed Rendell?  How is that even remotely possible?

Where is the journalistic integrity in working with the very man who stood cocked, ready to unleash millions in taxpayer funds to bail out an “independent” media entity?  It’s no secret that it has become increasingly difficult for papers to make a profit in the age of The New Media, but having Rendell as your “Go-To” man underscores just how desperate the situation has become.

Taking marching orders from elected officials destroys the very essence of being a journalist and jeopardizes the unique constitutional protections afforded to media members.  Sure, Ed Rendell is a private citizen now, but his mentality --- how he sees the role of the government working hand-in-hand with the media --- has undoubtedly not changed.

But the behavior of the Inquirer’s ownership should come as no surprise, given that it recently accepted a $2.9 million loan from the City of Philadelphia to assist the company move to a new headquarters. Yes, the same city, the same Mayor and the same City Council that the newspapers are supposed to be objectively covering.  Is nothing scared anymore?

The last thing the region needs is an investor group led by political insiders and ideologically-supercharged individuals with aggressive personal agendas.  As painful as it would be for the thousands of hard-working folks at the those newspapers, it would be better for the entire entity to close its doors than be associated with folks who may, at any given time, make a pitch for public financing. 

And while past performance is not indicative of future results, it’s a damn good bet.

Better to have no paper at all than one that prostrates itself at the feet of the very people it purports to objectively cover.  And since the Philadelphia newspapers have been anything but a watchdog over the last six years, churning out less than a handful of quality investigations, the bad guys would see virtually no difference, since they’re not exactly sweating investigative reporters knocking on their doors.

Where The Media Went Wrong

The sad reality is that The Fourth Estate has abdicated its sacred responsibility of keeping American institutions honest and true. No longer respected as the entity which holds feet to the fire and follows investigations wherever they may lead, the American media has instead become part and parcel of the Establishment. Too many journalists play the “go-along, get-along” game --- some because it’s easy, others because they want to be liked, still others who are afraid they will lose “access” if they ask the tough questions.

These people have forgotten that their profession does not lend itself to having “friends,” since nothing and no one should ever be off the table. The result of these close alliances is blatant conflicts of interest, both personal and professional.  Once that line is crossed, it is nearly impossible to return. 

No medium is immune from this malady.  Those in television, radio, newspaper and internet are all complicit. As an entity, the media has fallen down on its most basic journalistic responsibilities, losing its integrity, and ultimately its credibility, along the way.

Consequently, the public’s view of the media is at an historic low.  And while complaints abound that the media is biased, which to a certain extent it is, this is but a symptom of a much greater illness.  A slant towards liberalism or conservatism is wrong, to be sure, but inherent laziness and, by extension, incompetence, are the first problems that must be rectified. Competence and vision will trump bias every time.

Resurrecting the media's image is a Herculean task. And when the free press reaches the point where it is no longer believed, it stands on the edge of becoming completely irrelevant.

Whether it is nauseating nonstop coverage of Anna Nicole Smith's funeral procession or feel-good fluff stories in our nation's pre-eminent newspapers, the lack of hard-hitting investigative reporting and aggressive interviews with top national and international leaders is appalling. Producers and editors are constantly looking over their shoulders at the competition, choosing to push out content to be like “every other station,” passing on golden opportunities to be different, to be journalists ---  to be leaders.

These people spend more time trying to keep their jobs than actually doing them.

There is a certain irony here. If media executives produced the quality work that the American people expect, their ratings would skyrocket, and advertisers would pay a premium.  The biggest myth being propagated about the bankruptcy of media companies is that they are victims of the economy.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

They are victims of their own ineptitude.

Americans still have an unquenchable thirst for the news, but they are increasingly tuning out the mainstream media because the content is utterly lacking of substance. 

The solution is simple --- it's just not easy. Nothing and no one should be off the table.  Not politicians, government officials, businessmen, media personalities, sports stars, nor celebrities. With no agenda except the truth, the media should pursue stories with no boundaries and no restrictions. 

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Americans don’t gravitate to question marks, but exclamation points.  It’s time to put the exclamation point back in the American press, not through new technologies and gimmicks, but by pursuing the only thing that matters: the truth.

As the voice in the classic baseball movie Field Of Dreams commanded, “Build it and they will come.” In the same way, if the media gets off its duff and starts producing content worthy of the world’s best press, readers and viewers will come --- in unprecedented numbers.

Unfortunately, if Ed Rendell takes over Philadelphia’s newspapers, the ballpark will be empty before the new game even begins.

An accredited member of the media, Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television/radio commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com  His self-syndicated model has earned him the largest cumulative media voice in Pennsylvania. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

It was a December night, late 90’s.  My entire family was in downtown Philadelphia taking in the Christmas attractions.  One of our traditions was marveling at the magnificently decorated, larger-than-life tree in the City Hall courtyard.  But when we arrived, the gates were locked.

Viewing the tree wasn’t going to happen.

Disappointed, we started walking away when none other than the Mayor himself came bounding out of City Hall right next to us, clearly in a hurry.  But he saw us, turned around, and shot the bull for several minutes.  Upon hearing our plight, he immediately summoned a police officer from his detail and instructed him to take us up to his office, which “has the best view of the tree,” for as long as we wanted.

That tree never looked so beautiful.

And through it all, that Mayor never asked us our names or where we lived.  Whether or not we were voting constituents had absolutely no bearing on him.  He instinctively did what he thought was right, in much the same way he operated while an Assistant District Attorney, and later, the City’s DA.  He was one of the good guys.

And after his two relatively successful terms as Mayor, hopes that he would lead Pennsylvania in the right direction were not unfounded.

But after eight disastrous years as Pennsylvania’s Governor, Ed Rendell being viewed as a “good guy” is as likely as the Eagles’ winning this year’s Super Bowl: nonexistent.

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Up to this point, his legacy was known for three things: the introduction of gambling, which did not live up to the promise of tax-relief; huge tax hikes, coupled with a 40 per cent increase in state spending; and a perception of widespread pay-to-play within his Administration. Of lesser note but still sore subjects were his signing an unconstitutional legislative pay raise and not getting a single budget passed on time --- budgets that were full of smoke and mirrors, such as imaginary revenue from the failed I-80 tolling plan.

But now, the image of Rendell that is etched in people’s minds is the Governor blowing his top during one of his final interviews. 

With teeth clenched in a menacing growl, he karate-chops the air and literally screams at 60 Minutes interviewer Lesley Stahl that … “You guys don't get that. You're simpletons. You're idiots if you don't get that."   He was defending his position that gaming was good for Pennsylvania, under the rationale that if gamblers are going to lose their paychecks anyway, it’s better for state coffers if they lose them in Pennsylvania.

Truth be told, Rendell’s anger wasn’t really directed at Stahl.  An intelligent man, the Governor is all too aware that, under his watch, the state earned points in all the wrong categories: some of the highest taxes in the country; the nation’s most hostile legal system, causing doctors and companies to flee; a failing educational product; the country’s worst roads, and a decimated manufacturing base.

Pennsylvania’s biggest export is its children, and that, more than anything, has extinguished the hope for a better tomorrow under Rendell.

But if there is ever to be a turnaround, the time is now. Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett will be the state’s new Governor, a leader who has promised to run Pennsylvania in the mold of New Jersey’s Chris Christie.  And he definitely has the horses to accomplish his agenda: the Senate is solidly Republican, and the State House saw a thirteen seat swing to give the GOP a double-digit majority.

Many analysts postulated that Dan Onorato was defeated in the Governor’s race, and the Democrats lost control of the State House, because of the national Republican tidal wave, with Rendell playing little role in that result.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In the off-year elections of 1994 and 2010, newly elected Democratic Presidents pushed unpopular policies: Clinton with national health care and gays in the military, and Obama with universal healthcare, cap-and-trade and the stimulus. In both cases, Republicans took advantage of the momentum and captured the U.S. House of Representatives and numerous Governorships, including the gubernatorial victories of Tom Ridge and Tom Corbett in Pennsylvania. 

The State House was a different story. In 1994, the outgoing Governor, Bob Casey, Sr., was a popular conservative Democrat, and his influence helped the Dems maintain their slim majority. But Rendell was an albatross around the neck of Onorato, his protégé, and Democratic incumbents statewide.  Given that Corbett made Rendell’s legacy the focal point of his campaign, the Governor bears the most responsibility for his Party’s shellacking.

It’s legacy time for the Governor, and his approval ratings are downright dismal: twenties throughout much of the state and only thirties in his home base of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Poll numbers don’t lie, so when the vast majority of people say that Rendell’s eight years at the helm were a disaster, the realization of failure sets in, and backlashes occur --- hence the uncontrolled outburst on 60 Minutes.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Rendell’s unpopularity is that it occurred despite the media’s cozy relationship with the Governor.  That free pass culminated when Brian Tierney, (former) publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News --- the state’s largest papers --- sought a taxpayer bailout from Rendell himself, who was primed and ready to comply.  Thankfully, this was eventually nixed.

But if you read the glowing editorial in the Inky this past Sunday, you’d have thought Rendell walked on water. Consider these beauties:

“…he is leaving office as one of the most effective and capable governors that Pennsylvania has ever had.”

Nothing like telling 70 percent of Pennsylvanians they are dead wrong. And who says the media is elitist?

“…Rendell has led the state to impressive gains in public education.”

How?  By throwing an endless supply of taxpayer money into the black hole we call Philadelphia’s deathtrap schools?  If more funding was the solution, we’d have the best and brightest students.  Instead, we have unacceptable dropout rates, functional illiterates, low SAT scores and unaccountable teachers’ unions. But God forbid we try the only solution proven to work --- school choice.  The unions wouldn’t like that, and far be it for the Governor to offend a big contributor.

Speaking of which, from the bailout of Boscov’s to the millions bestowed upon Ballard Spahr, the Governor’s former law firm, Rendell has, first and foremost, taken care of his political pals and big-dollar contributors.  That, of course, was completely lost on the Inquirer’s editorial board as it opined, “Rendell's push for tax breaks resulted in the construction of Comcast's new corporate headquarters in Center City...”

Tax breaks?  Come on!  Those were blatant cash giveaways of OPM --- Other People’s Money! The Comcast-Rendell High Speed Money Connection was nothing more than corporate welfare to a multi-billion giant whose employees, political action committee, and executives (and spouses) --- including Rendell confidant, former Ballard boss and Chairman of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce David Cohen --- just so happened to throw almost $750,000 Rendell’s way. 

 “…The gaming part of Rendell's legacy has yet to play out. The new casino industry is providing jobs, as well as revenue for significant property-tax relief.”

Property-tax relief? Where?  Uranus?

Introducing addictive gambling as the centerpiece of an Administration and thinking it will lead to an economic revival is naïve, at best. But to rabidly defend it despite its obvious failures is deserving of our pity.

“…Overall, this governor was a friend of citizens whose voices don't often get heard in the halls of power. Pennsylvania has benefited as a result.”

Wait.  When did politically-connected law firms, unions and big-time fundraisers stop having their voices heard?

Here’s the sad reality.  If Rendell kept his word by not vetoing the Fair Share Act (limiting liability in lawsuits), if he hadn’t taxed people and businesses to the brink, if he had acted with a even a shred of responsibility when it came to budget spending, if he demanded accountability in our schools instead of being beholden to union interests, and if he instituted transparency and reform in state government, then Pennsylvania wouldn’t be near the bottom in job creation, economic opportunity --- and hope.

That this is lost on the insulated media is not surprising. But it’s certainly not lost on the only ones who matter --- the people. Tom Corbett and his Party would do well to always remember that.

To paraphrase a popular saying, a legacy is a terrible thing to waste.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newsApapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind, whose column appears nationally in Newsmax, also serves as a guest commentator on Philadelphia-area talk radio shows, and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Webster’s defines greed as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed.”

But there should be another entry: Teamsters Local 628.

You see, these are the guys who destroyed months of work by those trying to resurrect the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News papers.  The Teamsters were the ONLY union out of 16 who chose not to negotiate in good faith (READ: common sense) with the papers’ prospective new owners.

In doing so, they have jeopardized thousands of jobs.

The deal is off, and the papers are going back on the auction block. 

Worse still, former publisher Brian Tierney, whom the Teamsters unabashedly supported, is not out of the newspaper business yet. 

In fact, Tierney allies Raymond Perelman, a billionaire who bid with the Tierney group during the last auction, and the Carpenters Union , who lost every penny of its original pension fund investment but mysteriously keeps throwing more money on the table --- have once again submitted a bid.

God help us.
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It was under Tierney’s reign that the newspapers were driven into bankruptcy. 

When investors backing Tierney bought the papers in 2006, the “local ownership” angle was spun by the former PR exec as being the saving grace of journalism in the state.  Local ownership of the papers, we were told, would produce the stories that mattered --- the ones the public was thirsting to read. 

Instead, it became the exact opposite.

Thorough “no sacred cows” reporting virtually died, with only two major investigative stories being produced in Tierney’s four years at the helm. 

Given the papers’ vast resources, coverage of Philadelphia’s corruption could have, and should have, produced daily stories. 

But it didn’t happen.

And in the area that provided the lowest-hanging fruit --- the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, with more conflicts than could be counted --- there was virtually nothing of substance coming from the papers.

Where were the stories on the Delaware River Port Authority’s unchecked conflicts and cronyism?  The Philadelphia Housing Authority and its widespread abuses?  The millions upon millions of secretive no-bid contracts doled out to huge campaign donors --- including Ballard Spahr, the guv’s former firm and a huge beneficiary of the Administration’s largesse?

In fact, Ballard was so cozy with Rendell that it performed $773,000 in legal work for the state --- with NO contract.

And where was the state’s biggest media watchdog, with its vaunted local ownership, for any of these stories?

Nowhere to be found.

Pathetically, it seemed that the most important question the Inky’s reporters asked the Governor was his thoughts on the prospect of an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl.

The journalistic demise of the once-proud papers should have come as no surprise, however, given Tierney’s close relationship with Rendell.

After all, Tierney sought a taxpayer-funded bailout of his ailing papers from Rendell himself.  Millions were on the table, from “economic development” grants to state pension investments to housing state workers in the Inquirer building.

That’s right.  Publisher Tierney expected the public to believe that the papers would have objectively covered Ed Rendell and state government issues despite the Governor’s saving the company from bankruptcy.

Just as disturbing, though, was that Rendell was ready, willing and able to oblige.

Until the deal was exposed by a media entity not afraid to tackle the tough issues, wherever they led.

A week later, the papers filed for bankruptcy. Following a bitter dispute lasting over a year, the creditors finally took control after winning the bankruptcy auction.

Or so we thought.

Enter the Teamsters.

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More often than not, rank-and-file union members are not to blame when their union does something greedy or idiotic (which, this being Philadelphia, happens a lot). 

Union workers rightfully place faith in their leaders, with the reasonable expectation that Leadership will act in the best interest of the members.

The Teamsters’ rejection of a more-than-fair offer that would have guaranteed members’ employment while improving the health of the company falls into the “idiotic and greedy” category.

Like the one bad apple that spoils the whole bunch, the Teamsters leadership succeeded only in getting the worst of all worlds (short of Tierney regaining control).

They have incurred the wrath of the public (which they clearly don’t care about), but also that of the other unions.

What makes the Teamsters’ greed incomprehensible is that the original auction agreement was in their interest, since it mandated that the owners finalize agreements with all unions prior to the deal closing. But because of the Teamsters’ holdout, the new auction rules will not have that provision.

And Teamsters President John Laigaie calls that progress.

"The way they look at it, they now have another chance to fight another day," he said, speaking of his members.

Sure they do.  And where will they be fighting?  On the unemployment line? It’s a very real possibility.

The Newspaper Guild, whose membership had come to terms with the prospective new owners, was furious at their not-in-solidarity comrades. 

In a statement, Guild President Dan Gross berated the action of a “lone union” whose conduct served to “jeopardize thousands of jobs and the entire company by hijacking and derailing the closing process.”

“Highjacking and derailing”?  This, from one union to another?  So much for solidarity.

And all because the Teamsters didn’t want to switch from their pension fund to either a generous 401K plan offered by the company or a retirement fund jointly administered by the union and the company.

Common sense suggests that the Teamsters’ leadership has been living on another planet, not aware that we are hemorrhaging jobs in a severe recession. 

Or is there a more sinister motive, with the retirement objection being a red-herring designed solely to kill the deal, perhaps so a different ownership could seize the day?

Either way, such intransigence is inexcusable.

Bottom line: the Teamsters’ leadership needs a reality check.

Just as important, the unions who publicly lambasted the Teamsters should be commended for their courage.  Management and Labor will always have their disputes, but as long as the ultimate goal on both sides is continued employment and growth, common-sense agreements can always be reached.

Otherwise, as the old saying goes, the greedy pig gets nothing.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on the Philadelphia-area talk radio show, Political Talk (WCHE 1520), and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX 29.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

On Dec. 29, 2008, the publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News wrote a column titled “Papers Matter More Than Ever.” 

In his essay, Brian Tierney stated, “Our original news reporting sets the table for the entire region’s news output, much of which derives from the work we do. No other news medium — television, radio or Web — can compare to the daily coverage (we) produce.”

He added, “This is a tremendous responsibility, and we take it seriously. Without the Daily News and Inquirer, who would be exposing corruption and incompetence … and covering our city and region so thoroughly?”

Mr. Tierney concluded his article by stating, “Our local owners know that it’s more than a business; it’s a public trust.”

Not mentioned in the column was that Mr. Tierney had been in discussions with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, D, for several months regarding a potential government bailout of Philadelphia Media Holdings, the entity that owns both newspapers --- a story broken by Freindly Fire.

Editor's Note:  Brian Tierney lost control of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News on April 28 at the bankruptcy auction; the papers' lenders submitted the winning bid.

This is probably the easiest column I’ve ever written.

A no-brainer.

Unequivocally, Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News Publisher Brian Tierney should be the last person in the world to have the honor of running a newspaper.

And yes, there is, or at least was, honor in that profession.  But Tierney has done everything in his power to destroy the level of respect in which publishers were once held.

As everyone knows, all it takes is one bad apple to upset the whole cart. Once precedent is set, no matter how bad, others will follow suit.  And in this case, the repercussions will affect us all.

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