Topic: Journalism Funding

Journalists at the Chicago Tribune and other Alden Global Capital-owned papers staged a 24-hour walkout to protest budget cuts and the elimination of 401k matches. The strike highlights the "gutting" of local news by hedge funds focused on short-term profits. The hosts discuss the long-term decline of the newspaper business model, which began with the rise of local television and was accelerated by the internet.

Tribune Publishing, which includes the Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun, was sold to the hedge fund Alden Global Capital after a rival bid from Maryland philanthropist Stewart Bainum Jr. failed. Alden is known for aggressive cost-cutting and staff reductions at its newspapers to achieve 20% profit margins. The sale has sparked concerns about the "evisceration" of local newsrooms and the potential loss of the Tribune's voice as a representative of responsible Midwestern republicanism.

During a PBS NewsHour segment, Nancy Pelosi accused journalist Judy Woodruff of being an "advocate" for Republicans after Woodruff questioned the necessity of additional state and local government funding. The hosts discuss Woodruff's perceived lack of pushback against Pelosi's accusations, comparing it to previous instances where she was intimidated by political figures like Al Gore.

The EU resolution calls for increased financial support for "independent" media outlets and NGOs that align with EU values. The hosts argue that this is a move toward state-licensed journalism, where only pre-approved outlets receive funding. A minority opinion in the Parliament criticized the resolution for equating a sovereign state like Russia with a terrorist group like ISIS.

A listener's research reveals that the Bake Family Trust, which funds the Ground Truth Project, is tied to Christopher Paul Bake, a high-ranking executive at the Vitol Group. Vitol is a massive energy trading company with $307 billion in revenue based in Dubai. The hosts suggest that having a major oil company fund the journalists reporting on Middle Eastern conflicts represents a significant conflict of interest.

eBay founder Pierre Omidyar is launching a new $250 million news venture featuring Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill. The hosts discuss Greenwald's departure from *The Guardian* and express skepticism about the sustainability of a publication funded by a billionaire. They compare the venture to previous high-budget media failures like *Portfolio* and *Salon*.

New EU recommendations suggest that journalists must adapt their codes of conduct to address source verification and fact-checking in a "transparent" manner. The report also proposes state funding and awards for "talented" journalists. The hosts argue this will effectively eliminate anonymous sources and opinion-based deconstruction in favor of state-approved narratives.