December 18, 2015

"Having Owned Up to Buying Newspaper, Adelsons Go Silent."

NYT headline.

"Owned up"... like you're doing something wrong if you buy a newspaper!

From the OED:
c. intr. orig. U.S. colloq. to own up: to make a full admission or confession, esp. when challenged or pressed; to confess frankly (to something)....

1844 ‘J. Slick’ High Life N.Y. II. xxxii. 242 A feller..must be a sneakin shote if he can't pick up courage tu own up tu the truth, like a man.
1848 E. Bennett Renegade iv. 37, I 'spect I mought as well own up, being's I've got cotched in my own trap....
1890 Boston (U.S.) Jrnl. 23 May 1/6 On being arrested he owned up to his crime....
2000 Sun-Herald (Sydney) 18 June 81/2 Your response if you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar is either to say it wasn't me and keep denying it, or own up and take it.

23 comments:

Sydney said...

Well, of course. Only Democrats are allowed to own newspapers.

ddh said...

The NYT thinks it's shameful for a Republican to own a newspaper.

campy said...

like you're doing something wrong if you buy a newspaper!

If you're not planning to use the paper to advance the democrat cause, then yes, you're doing something wrong.

David Begley said...

Considering that the NYT bought the Boston Globe and it is now nearly worthless and the New York Daily News can't find any buyer, buying a newspaper is a real GAMBLE.

The NYT should be happy the Vegas paper sold at any price.

themightypuck said...

The rich part is the concern troll about editorial independence coming from the NYT.

David said...

The headline is supposed to reflect the content of the article, so in that sense it's a great headline. The article is a complete hit piece.

khesanh0802 said...

What a joke! The NYT expressing concern for fair and unbiased reporting. HA!

Todd said...

In that time, they have been broadly criticized for a lack of transparency in keeping their ownership secret, prompting questions about the paper’s editorial independence.

and

Having Owned Up to Buying Newspaper, Adelsons Go Silent

Cause when libirals own and run media, there is nothing news worthy about that.

“I think there’s a lot of consternation, not just inside The Review-Journal, but outside,” said Jon Ralston, a veteran Nevada political journalist. “What is he going to do with this newspaper, and will he do the same as he did in Israel?” he said, referring to Israel Hayom, a newspaper Mr. Adelson owns there, which supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Right because only a fascist would dare support Netanyahu. No "right thinking" reporter or paper would dare support and promote anything but a left/liberal agenda.

Their real fear is that they will be forced to be an actual "news" paper [you know, with actual facts and unbiased reports] versus a cover to cover left wing opinion periodical.

News, free association, rights, protests, etc. are only ever a problem when done by non-liberals.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

"Owned up"... like you're doing something wrong if you buy a newspaper!

I suspect that from the NYT editorial board's point of view it is wrong. Conservative billionaires aren't supposed to do anything but stand around an be a target for the NYT's scorn. They're not supposed to fight back!

sane_voter said...

It's about time the rich right pursues the Instapundit strategy and buys up media properties to bring some needed balance. I would also think it is a much better return on investment vs. giving Karl Rove types $100 million each election cycle.

MD Greene said...

Oh, I see. When the Sulzbergers sell a significant piece of their newspaper of record's equity to Carlos Slim, a Meican crook who owes his enormous fortune to his government's protection of his telecom monopoly, that's not a problem. When a lesser billionaire buys a smaller wasting-asset of a newspaper for a ridiculously price, that's a problem.

"Owned up" implies guilt. "Acknowledged" would have been a more neutral term. But neutrality and journalism are not good friends these days. That's why the Times cares.

Or, alternately, maybe the Times is angry that the Las Vegas paper fetched twice as much as the Boston Globe, which the Times group bought for $1 billion and sold for $70 million.

Fernandinande said...

"Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has become the largest shareholder of New York Times Co (NYT.N) after exercising warrants to double his stake in the publisher to 16.8 percent."

And so the $341.4 million question — why Mr. HelĂș, 75, would want the newspaper at such a lavish price — remains mostly unasked.

David Begley said...

Crazy Jane:

I didn't know the NYT unloaded the money losing Boston Globe. That is a horrible loss.

And, yes, the Mexican billionaire owns plenty of the NYT. And, of course, it affects the content in their newspaper.

cubanbob said...

I'm still waiting for the NYT times to fess up being owned by an Arab-Mexican crook.

Gahrie said...

"Owned up"... like you're doing something wrong if you buy a newspaper!

Well of course! Everyone knows Conservatives aren't allowed to operate media outlets! The media belongs to the Left! Appropriation! Appropriation!

Sebastian said...

I'm just surprised they don't use that phrase more often.

Such-and-such GOPer . . . Owns up to not finding SSM in the 14th, even after looking for days! Owns up to owning a gun, and shooting it for pleasure! Owns up to having visited Manhattan! Owns up to having dozed off during a sermon! Owns up to owning a blue T-shirt! Owns up to voting Republican! Owns up to having a black/gay/polycultural friend! Owns up to liking W! Owns up to disliking W! Owns up to preferring KFC over Chick-fil-A! Owns up to believing in AGW! Owns up to not believing in AGW! Owns up to believing black lives matter, and not realizing the mistake! Owns up to having changed her last name from Scalia! Owns up to having taken a Women's Studies course! Owns up to thinking Ann Althouse is cruelly neutral!

Chris N said...

In a town mostly started by the mob, fueled by casino and tourist dough,, I wonder how many scorpions there are under rocks.

Good luck!

JAORE said...

The lack of self awareness at the NYT would be stunning it the examples were not on display nearly every day.

CWJ said...

"Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Republican Party of the United States?"

John henry said...

Since they initially either denied or no commented the rumors that they were the buyers, I think "Owned up" works here. Not because they did anything wrong but because they were a bit secretive about it.

I suspect that now the paper will start running hard hitting article abut how Steve Wynn's Encore and Trump's properties are gouging the customers on bottled water. I think they charge $3-4 for a bottle that they probably pay a dime for.

(Cookie, Amanda, et al: There's your cue for wailing and gnashing of teeth on PRICE GOUGING!!!!)

Seriously, it will be interesting to see how the paper covers other, non-Adelson hotels. Will they be fair?

I like this idea of right wing maniacs buying newspapers. I was disappointed when some of the Koch brothers took a pass on buying the LA Times last year. Maybe it will push back against the NYT, Post and Buffett's 67 papers.

It is a city paper now but in the age of the internet, there is no reason it could not become a national paper. All it would take is money. Adelson has plenty of that.

John Henry

Fen said...

They went quiet to deflect the Social Media Lynch Mob that Democrat Nazis employ.

traditionalguy said...

To own up tactis is the all purpose PR antidote, only allowed to be taken by liberals. When one is caught red handed, it supposedly shows the courage to take the full blame for what cannot be denied. It borders on being Kingly to bluntly tell the truth at last...and please ignore my serial lies told until I was exposed because today I have courageously told the truth.

Bay Area Guy said...

Isn't this the definition of "concern troll?" Of the 1000s of newspapers published in the US, the NYT, for some reason, needs to express its concern that this small one in Nevada is owned by a casino magnate, who happens to be a Republican?