Blade Reporter Suspended For Writing Letter to Pulitzer Board

[LiberalHeart]

TOLEDO -- According to a report on the Editor & Publisher Website, a veteran reporter at The Blade has been suspended after admitting that he wrote an anonymous letter to the Pulitzer Prize Board claiming the newspaper's "Coingate" series was tainted. They say The Blade has confirmed this.

http://wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4946273

[blm]

1. Disgusting. And say GOODBYE to the great Editor and Publisher

Carlyle group bought its parent company Monday.

The GOP investor groups are buying up every available media source while Dem investor groups are letting them.

[LiberalHeart]

2. Yikes.

I had no idea that happened. So sad.

[Faygo Kid]

3. No! Please post that news as a separate thread. It is stunning.

That is too important to not share with DUers as its own thread.

[blm]

6. It was posted on a thread on Monday -

DU is NOT paying attention to what is REALLY happening while they're fighting peripheral, nonessential battles. REALLY huge crap is going down - and the GOPs are buying up every available media source and doing it on the QT.

I am FURIOUS at the Dem party for ignoring the real battles - GOPs have every intention of maintaining power in November and are going to do it by asserting almost complete media control - broadcast AND print. And many at DU stare at their navels and photoshop their 2008 logos - hah - as if.

[Faygo Kid]

7. I am with you, blm. Great response, but take a deep breath.

I totally agree, but if you and I suffer heart attacks from our anger, we are of no use to the side of the angels. Have a glass of your favorite wine and take a deep breath, my friend. We need you! Actually, I know little of such things, and the confusing ways of your people. I am simply an Unfrozen Cave Man Lawyer.

[blm]

8. I was being a bit hyperbolic. ;) - I do that on occasion.

But no way will I let it drop. That's why I stay on message no matter how redundant it seems.

And....Thanks kid.

[987654321]

10. Some of us don't catch every thread.

So sometimes things need to be repeated so all of us know. I think it is a little arrogant of you to be so critical just because all of us don't know all of the news all of the time!

And I too am furious at the Dem leadership for not screaming at the top of their lungs about this!

[blm]

12. It has nothing to do with arrogance and everything to do with the

frustration of constant battling to get attention for a most important issue.

[Joanne98]

4. Link?

[Joanne98]

5. It is true. Here's the article.......

Bid To Take Over 'E&P' Parent, VNU, Appears Successful

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002539910

By E&P Staff

Published: May 21, 2006 2:45 PM ET

AMSTERDAM A group of private investors said Sunday their euro 7.7 billion (U.S. $9.7 billion) bid for Dutch publishing company VNU NV, owner of Editor & Publisher, Billboard, Hollywood Reporter, Adweek and dozens of other leading magazines, has succeeded.

The investors, who operate under the name Valcon Acquisition BV, said that 78.7 percent of VNU's shareholders had tendered their shares to the offer price of euro 29.50 (U.S. $37.15) per share.

The group had targeted 80 percent of shares, but said Sunday it would waive that condition.

VNU shares closed at euro 29.37 on Friday. Valcon said in a statement it will now begin formal legal proceedings to "squeeze out" remaining shareholders, forcing them to sell their shares, and delist VNU.

An initial post-offer period where shareholders can tender shares at the offer price will begin Monday and last until June 9, the statement said.

VNU's fate has been uncertain since November, when Knight Vinke Asset Management and other mostly American institutional shareholders blocked VNU's U.S. $6.8 billion bid to buy IMS Health Inc. -- a show of strength unheard of in the Netherlands, where shareholders have no history of activism.

VNU Chief Executive Rob van den Bergh promised to resign after the IMS Health deal collapsed, but he continued to serve while the company sought a replacement and eventually entered talks with the buyout consortium.

Van den Bergh and VNU's board supported Valcon's initial bid in March.

On May 4, the bidders increased their offer, winning the support of at least one major shareholder, Templeton Global Advisors Ltd., whose clients held a 14.7 percent stake in VNU.

Knight Vinke threw in the towel Friday and said it would also tender its shares.

The consortium is comprised of AlpInvest Partners NV, The Blackstone Group LP, The Carlyle Group, Hellman & Friedman LLC, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP, and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP.

VNU, which has most of its business in the United States, does marketing research under the Nielsen brand name and publishes about four dozen magazines in America.

[987654321]

9. Holy shit!

I really don't know how much more I can take of news like this.

[brentspeak]

11. Dem investor groups?

Who are they?

[blm]

13. Remember when Clinton and Gore left office? A bunch of the Clinton team

signed on with various investment groups as advisors or partners.

[Blue_Tires]

14. thank you for shedding light on the bigger picture

that is flat-out insane

[Daphne08]

15. What? Oh, I hate that.