>> >>PEGGY: JOINING ME TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP MAY IMPACT JOURNALISM
FROM SAN DIEGO TO TEMECULA IS DEAN NELSON, DIRECTOR THE JOURNALISM PROGRAM AT POINT LOMA
NAZARENE UNIVERSITY.
DEAN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
DOUG MANCHESTER NOW OWNERS AND JAN LYNCH NOW OWN TWO OF THE LARGEST NEWSPAPERS IN THE REGION.
HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL AFFECT THE DELIVERY OF NEWS TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?
>> >>DEAN NELSON: WELL T AS THE POTENTIAL OF BEING A MUCH BIGGER REACH, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE SOME BUSINESS AND MAYBE PRODUCTION KINDS OF THINGS.
ADVERTISING COULD BE A BIGGER REACH WHICH MEANS THEN THEY COULD EXPAND THE KIND OF COVERAGE
THAT THEY DO.
WHETHER THAT HAPPENS OR NOT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
>> >>PEGGY: IT COULD BE.
NOW, DOUG MANCHESTER HAS BEEN VERY OPEN AND AGGRESSIVE ABOUT HIS CONSERVATIVE AGENDA.
HE HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CHEER LEADERS AND CHAMPIONS OF SAN DIEGO.
HE PUBLISHES EDITORIALS ALONGSIDE OF THAT AGENDA.
ON THE FRONT PAGE.
AND SAID HE WILL DO SO THEN NORTH COUNTY TIMES.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT NEWS IN AN OBJECTIVE AND BALANCED WAY?
>> >>DEAN NELSON: THE EDITORIAL PAGES IS ALWAYS, OR AT LEAST TRADITIONALLY IN RECENT Y HISTORY
BEEN SEPARATE FROM THE NEWS COVERAGE T.MAKES ITÊ IT MUDDIES IT A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU DO
IT IT AS A WRAP AROUND TO THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWS SECTION, STATING WHAT YOUR EDITORIAL
POSITION IS.
I HOPE THAT READERS ARE ASTUTE ENOUGH TO REALIZE THESE ARE EDITORIALS, THESE ARE OPINIONS AND
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY AFFECT THE ACTUAL NEWS.
IT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD, BUT I HOPE IT DOESN'T.
>> >>PEGGY: THE NORTH COUNTY TIMES, LEE ENTERPRIZES HAS SAID WE ARE A PROFITABLE PAPER WHICH IS
UNUSUAL IN THIS DAY IN AGE.
IS THIS SIMPLY JUST A GOOD BUSINESS MOVE?
>> >>DEAN NELSON: IT'S A BRILLIANT BUSINESS MOVE.
MANCHESTER'S A SMART GUY.
HE DIDN'T MAKE HIS MONEY JUST BY PLAYING DUMB.
SO TO BUY ANOTHER PAPER, AND TO BE ABLE TO GET MAYBE A BIGGER ADVERTISING KIND OF DOLLAR,
YOU KNOW, THE NEWS PAPER BUSINESS MODEL IS BROKEN.
AND HE'S TRYING TO MAKE SOME SOME SORT OF MONEY AT LOCAL NEWSPAPERS.
I THINK IT'S FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANTED.
>> >>PEGGY: HE'S A DEVELOPER, MANCHESTER, LYNCH A FORMER RADIO EXECUTIVE.
THEY JUST BOUGHT THE UT A FEW YEARS AGO, NOW THEY BOUGHT THE NORTH COUNTY TIMES.
IS THIS TOO MUCH TOO SOON?
>> >>DEAN NELSON: I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT WILL BE IN HOW YOU GAUGE THE QUALITY OF WHAT
THEY DO.
THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT.
IS THE JOURNALISM BEING DONE REALLY WELL?
IS UTTV A PROFESSIONAL KIND OF TELEVISION OUTLET?
AND IF THEY EXPAND TOO QUICKLY, THE QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCT WILL NOT BE VERY GOOD.
SO TO BE ABLE TO SAY IS IT TOO MUCH TOO SOON, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE TOO MUCH TOO SOON AS FAR AS DEBT GOES.
>> >>PEGGY: FINANCIALLY, IT WON'T BE AS FAR AS ACTUAL NEWS, WHAT'S GETTING OUT THERE.
WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME LEFT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY HISTORICALLY THIS ISN'T
THE FIRST TIME THAT SOMEBODY WITH A LOT OF MONEY HAS DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PUSH
THE AGENDA OF THE PAPER.
>> >>DEAN NELSON: NO, THIS COUNTRY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF MEDIA MOGULS THAT HAVE OWNED BIG
S.W.A.T.S OF NEWS MEDIA MCCORMICK, PULITZER, ALL OF THESE.
NOR IS THE IS IT THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE HAS BEEN REALLY STRIDE NT ON THEIR EDITORIAL PAGE
AGAINST A PARTICULAR POLITICIAN, PRESIDENT, WHATEVER.
THIS IS ACTUALLYÊ WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE.
>> >>PEGGY: WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE.
DEAN NELSON, THANK YOU FOR TALK WITH US TODAY.
>> >>DEAN NELSON: MY PLEASURE.