Charles and David Koch – those Billionaire Koch brothers – perhaps two of the most notorious names in American politics may be getting into the newspaper publishing business.
According to The New York Times, the Koch brothers are making a play for the Tribune Company newspapers, including the Orlando Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times and many others.
The left is having a fit about it. They’re worried that if the Kochs successfully acquire the papers, they will run them as a political tool and seek to extend their influence. Au contraire, do they mean like the Sulzbergers or Murdochs, or maybe the Grahams at the Washington Post?
The Kochs understand that they must explain their agenda themselves and a great way to do it is to buy newspapers that are currently available at fire-sale prices.
It’s also smart business. Despite what you may think of the Koch Brothers, they are very, very successful at business and this is being discounted by the left.
It is a sad day in America when ownership of a newspaper is determined by political perspective. Progressives should be ashamed of themselves for opposing the possible acquisition.
Not only do the Kochs have every right to acquire a newspaper property to extend their influence and pursue their agenda, it should be applauded. Its been done that way in this country since slave ships docked outside of New York City near Wall Street.
Here in Orlando, we should welcome the new blood on Orange Avenue. The Tribune Company wants to get rid of it and its sister papers in Baltimore, L.A., and Chicago. It no longer has an agenda that can benefit from our beloved Sentinel. And, make no mistake about it, although it is up for sale, the Orlando Sentinel, is always gonna be here folks.
The would-be owners, be they the Kochs or someone else, at the end of the day, are really ultimately, stewards of a business defined by its people and its particular audience of readers. The Orlando Sentinel has great employees who bust their asses every day to get that paper out. The Kochs would be smart to leave its management intact.
After all, Central Florida isn’t exactly overrun by Nation subscribers.
This article is an example when a news organization is not a news organization. This is a website and this is the same paid content that you can google and find on a conservative “news” site. I wonder how you can sleep at night. You don’t think corporation control and self aggrandizement with half this country in poverty can’t get worse? Take away our voice. Our Sentinel. I wonder even if a 5000 dollar fee how you sleep at night. This article will also kill your lil ole parading as “news” outlet which is just a pay to play content. Take the money and run? Or have you already? Print a retraction. Now. Or God will see you at his juidgment day. By the way did you cover the rally at 5:30 today at the Sentinel? I thought not. Even the competitor the weekly did.