Sam Zell tells Orlando Sentinel photog: F%#k you.

[The Big Ragu]

Also, Sagan never said "billions and billions"

Not even when he was trying to sell a book he had written with that exact title?

This thread has been interesting reading. It turned into a good discussion.

Zell is a guy who invested in something. Of course he wants it to be profitable. It shouldn't be too hard to understand. He may not know how to make that happen, or he may have miscalculated and be trying to save something that is unsavable, but the fact that this is his motivating factor doesn't make him bad or immoral and it actually holds the best hope for the newspaper business. If there is something out there that people are buying in a newspaper, if you really love newspapers you should hope to find out what it is and get more people buying newspapers (and advertisers trying to reach them).

His "journalistic arrogance" comment was harsh, but at the end of the day, no one is stopping anyone on here with grandiose thoughts of the public interest and what are the "right" stories, from starting their own publication and losing their own money for everyone's supposed good.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

From Friday morning in L.A..... from laobserved.com:

As of now, Sam Zell has his own category at LA Observed. Signs are it will be a busy one. I get now what New York journos see in the likes of Donald Trump and George Steinbrenner: endless fun copy. Chairman Sam sent out another missive of inspiration to his L.A. employees this morning, but all I hear Times people talking about is a line he uttered yesterday at the Orange County plant. The specific quote varies in the telling, but I've heard from several sources that in defending his decision to allow strip club ads back into the Times, Zell said:

"Some of my best friends go to gentlemen's clubs. It's unAmerican not to like pussy."

 

[SixToe]

It's unAmerican not to like pussy.

Well, he's right.

 

[Chi City 81]

It's unAmerican not to like pussy.

Well, he's right.

Congratulations. You just insulted every gay man in America.

 

[fishwrapper]

It's unAmerican not to like pussy.

Well, he's right.

Congratulations. You just insulted every gay man [and woman] in America.

 

[Italian_Stallion]

Stop the presses. We're redoing the front section with nothing but pictures of American flags, pussy and puppies. On some pages, we'll do all three.

Oh, and fork you.

 

[ADifferentOkie]

Stop the presses. We're redoing the front section with nothing but pictures of American flags, pussy and puppies. On some pages, we'll do all three.

Oh, and fork you.

I'd buy that paper. It's fun for the whole family.