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.
