Two weeks ago the St. Louis American broke an intriguing story about how a committee associated with Mayor Francis Slay has been paying two local African-American newspapers for positive front page coverage at a time when the black community’s dissatisfaction with the Slay Administration is at an all-time high.
The committee that paid money for “media” (not advertisements) to the St. Louis Argus and Gentry Trotter [Publisher-at-large of the St. Louis Evening Whirl]… is Citizens for a Better St. Louis.
Slay’s positive coverage in the media has been remarkable as of late, especially considering his role in the recent police department scandals. As a police board member, Slay excused Chief Joe Mokwa for his role in the towing scandal and never said a word about illegal practices which caused so much financial harm to many everyday working people — that is, not until the FBI and the U.S. Attorney got involved. Then Slay and the rest of the Board suddenly reconsidered their opinion. But still Mokwa was allowed to resign with a generous severance package. He even took his $5,000 badge with him.
Nothing seems to stick to St. Francis. Especially in the eyes of the editors of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Post has had a hard time concealing its cheering for Mayor Slay’s re-election. Yesterday they incorrectly reported that his top challenger, State Sen. Maida Coleman, had decided not to run against him. And in recent weeks, their coverage of the election regularly began with leads like “Don’t look now Maida Coleman…” and “If State Sen. Maida Coleman does indeed jump into the mayor’s race, she may have hardly anyone left to endorse her” (Nevermind that most black elected officials in the city have refused to support Slay).
With the exception of the columns of Sylvester Brown, not a critical word of the Slay Administration and its many missteps, misdeeds, misdemeanors, and more can be found in the pages of the city’s only daily newspaper.
You would think that Slay had found a way to pay-to-play in the mainstream media the same way he has in the black press.
Maybe he has.
As the Missouri Legislature is about to reconvene next week, the mayor has prepared a list of his priorities, the things he will instruct city lobbyists to push for in Jefferson City this year. On the list: “Support for daily newspapers”.
Iowa-based Lee Enterprises, which owns the Post-Dispatch and 48 other daily newspapers across the country, has been losing money and cutting jobs all year long. Without some public money, the Post may fold as so many other daily newspapers have across the country.
In fact, the St. Louis Business Journal recently reported the company’s stock had dropped so low that it received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange that its stock had fallen below the exchange’s continued listing standard price and was nearing non-compliance with the NYSE’s market capitalization standard. At last check, the stock was selling below 36 cents a share.
In politics, I am always suspicious of starving politicians. People in powerful elected positions who have very little money in their pockets and are truly struggling to put food on their tables are faced with a daily ethical and moral dilemma. It’s dangerous for the community to have these people in power too long because it is a rare politician who can resist selling out their community in order to feed their children.
It would appear the owners of our only daily newspaper are facing a similar dilemma. Unfortunately, our community cannot elect a new daily paper every four years.
Wow.
I don’t even know what to say. Have a gone to sleep and awoken in Rod Blagojevic’s world?
Posted by Shocked in South St. Louis | 03. Jan, 2009, 10:16 PMUnfortunately quite a few black elected officials have given their endorsement. Larry Williams, T.D. El -Amin, Tishaura Jones, Jef f Boyd, Bosley Sr., Dionne Flowers, and Calude Brown. I’ll save formers and the business people for later.
Posted by BigD | 04. Jan, 2009, 12:01 AMHow many African Americans are on the advisory board of the Post Dispatch?
Posted by Voter | 04. Jan, 2009, 11:20 AMUnfortunately quite a few black elected officials have given their endorsement. Larry Williams, T.D. El -Amin, Tishaura Jones, Jef f Boyd, Bosley Sr., Dionne Flowers, and Calude Brown. I’ll save formers and the business people for later
***How many of them have relatives/friends working for Slay and or have contracts with the city?????? Hmmmmmm****
Posted by C | 04. Jan, 2009, 8:37 PMIn response to the question about the Post’s Community Advisory Board, I’d invite you to take a look at it for yourself. It’s insulting.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/06AF24D6659B9434862572CA0055B8A3?OpenDocument
Members include Mayor Francis Slay, his chief of staff Jeff Rainford, and his public safety director Charles Bryson. Also Paul McKee, John Steffen, and Joe Mokwa. All of which the Post did or should have been investigating all of 2008.
For the real deal on this farce read this 2007 article from the St. Louis Journalism Review called “Post-Dispatch community advisory board: editorial window dressing?”.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6666/is_/ai_n29355241
Posted by Antonio D. French | 04. Jan, 2009, 8:48 PMI can just hear Rainford, a la Blago’s wife on the wiretap transcript, yelling: “Hold up that bleeping state support bleep!!”
This mayoral administration has a history of using whatever leverage is available, questionable or not, to get its way (see Old Post Office development for starters). I can only imagine that influencing local news coverage, especially in such a weakened daily newspaper, would seem like child’s play to this crowd. But Gentry Trotter? Ugh. What a small, ugly, two-bit world it is there. Antonio, I applaud you for wading into this swamp.
Posted by Margie | 04. Jan, 2009, 9:50 PM“It would appear the owners of our only daily newspaper are facing a similar dilemma. Unfortunately, our community cannot elect a new daily paper every four years.”
Perhaps a public newspaper is in order. A community coop supported by local funds and controlled by the people of Saint Louis directly.
Not a bad idea Mr. French!
Posted by Angelo | 04. Jan, 2009, 11:37 PMGutsy post Antonio.
It appears that St. Louis Citly politics is more corrupt than Illinois. I am still laughing over the King Slays Court comment Friday, but in all seriousness he yields much more control than the public should be comfortable. At least in Illinois there were checks and balances with the media, but the post and channel 5 are so far up Slays a$#, they report him having gas as aromatherapy.
Posted by questionable | 05. Jan, 2009, 12:58 AMThis makes me laugh. Don Suggs and the STL American are the biggest pay for play operationn in town! Or should I say, biggest shake down operation in town!
Posted by Insider | 05. Jan, 2009, 12:04 PMBeing suspicious of starving politicians is a tough. Do we want politicians who never knew what it’s like to be out of work for a period of time, never had to argue with a health insurance company over a claim? On national level, we had a couple of millionaires vying for the presidency this fall. It has been that way since 2000.
Ideally, it would be a mix, but we have too many career politicians whose civil servant perch sees that a lot of money can be made with a variance here, a wink there. They want their piece of the pie.
Posted by butterfly | 06. Jan, 2009, 10:12 AMFYI, the blogger “INSIDER” is none other than Gentry Trotter. Trotter, it’s obvious when you write, whether it’s here or as the “Shadow.”
Posted by tank | 06. Jan, 2009, 11:47 AMtoday the pd editorialized that we should consider whether deniece w w coleman is sincere, instead assuming the worst stalking horse theory….
does anyone know anything—-about exactly what she did for Obama, other than attend the church service they talked about in the editorial, which stirred her to want to run?
Posted by kjoe | 06. Jan, 2009, 1:45 PMWake up, the INSIDER is none other than failed publisher Terry Artis. I think his 1978 Commodores hair style has grown into his brain. I’m Terry Artis. I’m Tall, and I’m…….well, I’m tall and you’re not. Na na na na na.
Posted by Not the little trottster | 09. Jan, 2009, 8:48 PM