How a Nevada Newspaper Sale Could Rock Politics

A Republican benefactor and casino king's purchase of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada's largest newspaper, has fueled anxiety about partisan influence tainting coverage of the 2016 presidential race in a crucial Western swing state.

Sheldon Adelson initially kept silent about his $140 million purchase but eventually confirmed in a statement that his family bought the paper as "both a financial investment as well as an investment in the future of the Las Vegas community."


However, observers are openly skeptical that the billionaire Adelson's motives are pure and worried that the Review-Journal will not be able to pursue its news mission freely and fairly.
"This just smells bad from the get-go," said Gabriel Kahn, a professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and co-director of its Media, Economics and Entrepreneurship Program. "The fact that they were opaque about the whole process, and the fact that Adelson's one extracurricular activity is politics, and a particular brand of politics, waged in a particular way."

Besides spending tens of millions on the 2012 election, including $15 million on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's failed Republican campaign, Adelson also has a long history of battling with journalists who cover him, and sued Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith over a 2005 book.

Next year, Nevada is set to become a key battleground for the White House, and its race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Minority Leader Harry Reid is expected to be one of the top in the nation.

Reid, D-Nev., and other Nevada politicians had mixed reactions to the revelation that Adelson was the paper's new owner.

Reid has long had an antagonistic relationship with the newspaper, which he already considers too right wing. He told reporters that he hopes Adelson improves what he considers "a dog of a newspaper."
“They have the worst editorial policy in the history of the world,” Reid said, as quoted by The Washington Post. “They are not conservative. They are crazy."
Before Adelson confirmed his role in the deal, Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., took to the House floor to call for the new Review-Journal owners to reveal themselves.

On Thursday, Titus tweeted a message applauding Adelson for the disclosure: "I trust the @reviewjournal editorial policy will be fair & I hope 1 day I will get their endorsement."
Adelson joins a list of wealthy investors who appear to have purchased newspaper properties such as The Washington Post and The Boston Globe more for influence or prestige than financial return, Kahn said.
"When you have a new owner who has shown zero interest in the pursuit of civic-minded journalism and has shown a great willingness to invest in influencing electoral outcomes, one can only assume the worst," he said.


Source: www.usatoday.com