SpadeaGate: Oregonian publisher overrides sales policy to publish anti-tax-fairness ad.
Kari Chisholm
The fall-out continues from the Oregonian's decision to publish multiple No on 66/67 ads on the "spadea" - the front page wrap.
The presence of a political ad, especially one designed to appear to be from the newspaper itself, was particular jarring to many Oregonians. Having never seen a political ad there before, many of us wondered if there had been a policy against such ads. And now we have the answer.
Over at Oregon Media Central, Mitch Nelson reports that the Oregonian sales department did in fact have a policy prohibiting political advertising on the spadea -- a policy that was overridden by the paper's new publisher:
Pat McCormick, spokesperson for Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes, says his organization inquired about the spadea before The Oregonian's January 4 "vote no" editorial. At the time, however, the paper's advertising department told them that The Oregonian did not accept political ads in the spadea format. After the editorial, McCormick says lobbyist Mark Nelson had the campaign's media-buying firm make another effort to secure the spadea, which they were successful at doing.But while The Oregonian's endorsement was what prompted the campaign's second push for a spadea, publisher Chris Anderson repeatedly stressed to OMC that the paper's decision to run the ad "had nothing to do with the endorsement — not at all."
Anderson says that he and then-president Pat Stickel decided in December to accept political spadeas in the current election, before they made an endorsement, and he says they made the decision without discussing their editorial position. He says he does not know whether there had previously been a policy not to accept such ads.
But Mario van Dongen, director of sales and marketing at The Oregonian, says that there was indeed such a policy, and that the policy was his own. He says that the sales department would have known of the policy if someone had inquired with them, but that it was not a written company position that the president or publisher would necessarily have known about. He says that Stickel received an inquiry about a political ad on the spadea while Van Dongen was away, so, after consultation with Anderson, the decision to accept it was made without him.
Van Dongen opposed political spadeas because "a political ad might take advantage of the placement and make it look like it's a newspaper statement." He says controlling the content of a political ad is difficult, because it can become a slippery slope toward censoring it. McCormick says the negotiations they did have included matters such as the placement of the "paid advertisement" disclaimer, as well as an agreement that The Oregonian's logo would only appear on pages that also included a summary of the paper's editorial statement.
The Oregonian is a publication from a private for-profit entity. Legally, they can probably do whatever they want. But this behavior is shredding the newspaper's credibility much more than some of their earlier controversial moves - like endorsing George W. Bush in 2000 and Ron Saxton in 2006.
Having stopped regular delivery outside the metro area (which will almost surely vote Yes on 66 and 67), if this hit to their credibility is sustained long-term, it's hard to imagine they can afford the circulation hit.
One more thing: We've received multiple queries today from BlueOregon readers reporting they received a free newspaper today (wrapped with the latest No on 66/67 spadea) - despite not having a subscription to the Oregonian. So, dear readers, weigh in: did you get a free paper today? If so, let us know - and post your zip code. If this was a substantial "lit drop" throughout the region, this might get even more interesting.
Finally, if you're looking for a way to get involved and help with the final push this weekend, find a volunteer opportunity for Yes on 66 and 67 here.
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Jan 22, '10
SEX OFFENDERS AGAINST 66/67
We, Oregon's predatory child sex offenders, urge you to vote NO on Measures 66 and 67.
More than half of the budget that would be impacted by these measures is allocated to schools and the Department of Corrections.
The way we see it, if these measures fail, the Department of corrections budget would be slashed, meaning we would get out of prison sooner.
Further, if school budgets across the state must be cut in the wake of these measures' defeat, either the school year or the school day would end earlier, and extracurricular activities would be cut or unaffordable for many children in school. The net result would be that many children who would otherwise be on school grounds would instead be out on the streets, in the parking lots, in the shopping malls...places where predatory sex offenders like us know where to find them.
Therefore, we ask that you help us to defeat these measures and unfund the schools and prisons.
Because you might not care about your children enough to consider the impact of these measures on them.
But we do.
(this statement paid for by Caleb McPedophile, child sex offender)
3:50 p.m.
Jan 22, '10
Those "free" papers that show up on my front step never get removed from the plastic they come in. In fact it is quite annoying that they show up on my steps in the first place. I didn't request them. They often sit on the steps right next to the multiple phonebooks that I didn't request until I muster up the energy to recycle them. This is the final straw for the Oregonian in my book. What's next? They start charging for content online? It wouldn't surprise me at all. I think the last productive thing I did with the Oregonian was feed it to my compost worms. Everyone else should do that same.
Jan 22, '10
We're not subscribers and we've gotten free papers the last three days! We're in 97206.
Jan 22, '10
Kari,
While the O has pulled back from some markets (especially Eugene/Springfield) they are still available in newsstands and for home delivery in many parts of the state outside the Portland metro area, including where I live in the mid-valley. They are still the only Oregon paper with near-statewide reach in print.
Jan 22, '10
I love it.
....but that it was not a written company position that the president or publisher would necessarily have known about. He says that Stickel received an inquiry about a political ad on the spadea while Van Dongen was away, so, after consultation with Anderson, the decision to accept it was made without him.
Huge evil conspiracy:)
The more you guys make a stink about this, the more you highlight the fact that the Oregonian endorsed the NO position.
P.S. please launch a Nike boycott ASAP so we can make sure more people know that the Chairman of the largest Oregon based company (read employer) is passionately against the measures too.
Jan 22, '10
My heart goes out to the fine reporters trapped at the Oregonian. Not only is a paid political advertisement above the fold on the front page unethical and humiliating, it is also stupid. It will bring down circulation numbers even lower, which will make the new publisher even more pathetically desperate.
Jan 22, '10
I got a free paper today and this has never happened before. I live in West Slope.
Jan 22, '10
"The Oregonian is a publication from a private for-profit entity. Legally, they can probably do whatever they want. But this behavior is shredding the newspaper's credibility. . . ."
I swear, I've never before seen the words "Oregonian" and "Credibility" so close together.
Thanks, Kari, for providing me with a genuinely new experience.
Jan 22, '10
So, what would be wrong with that Admiral? It would help your cause and it's fully identified. Let's not limit human speech while we're expanding corporate "speech".
No, the risk is it being perceived as news. How about, "Measures 66 and 67 Go Down in Defeat", and then they go on to say why they think they should be defeated. All those people that don't read the article, toss it, kick the free paper aside, will still remember "I saw something about the measures are going down in flames", and stupidly vote for whatever they think is winning.
Worse, what about issues they want to influence, that people don't realize are in play? What about "Portland: Safest Drinking Water in the Nation", and an editorial that says that it is something that we should aim for, coincidentally timed to a water project being debated by the Council or Metro? Bet you my last thin dime that if someone then tried to cover the debate, the naive that have seen the wrapper would say, "that's stupid; I just saw where we already have the best water in the country". Particularly in cases where they are piggybacking misinformation.
And that doesn't even touch the "Rep X Is Not Currently Beating His Wife", possibilities. Personally, I don't see that the co-opted non-reporting has been much different from that for years. The big slide downhill is that it's stealth coverage. It's there to influence the opinions of those that don't actually read the editorial. Can be the paper in front of the neighbor's door, and if you glance down as you walk by, they reached you. The equivalent would be a "yes on 66" phonebank, calling a number and crying, "oh, louise, I am going to lose my job is M66/67 don't pass, I feel like ending it all", to which the other party replies, "this isn't louise". "Sorry; wrong number". The whole point is to get it in edgewise before you consciously decide to not read it.
FWIW, the O isn't interested in 97230. Surprise.
That bit of Celtic characterization at the end makes me wonder, "Miles", are you also "Trey Starrs" ? His kind of humor.
4:41 p.m.
Jan 22, '10
Should we start a pool to see how long Chris Anderson lasts? Let's find an alternative to public meeting notices and move on.
Jan 22, '10
Again, who are the members of the NW Grocery Association?
Jan 22, '10
P.S. please launch a Nike boycott ASAP so we can make sure more people know that the Chairman of the largest Oregon based company (read employer) is passionately against the measures too.
BTW, am I the only one, or does anyone else find using a serial communication style in a random access medium to be rather odd? Been thinking about it since t.a. did it. You write "p.s." because you can't go back and change the letter. Here you can. Guess it's being used as, "oh, and I forgot to add...", but, then, why can't you say that?
p.p.s. This was transcribed from a clay tablet.
Jan 22, '10
See also:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/1/22/828973/-Why-isnt-The-Oregonians-publisher-an-Oregon-voter
and
http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2010/01/22/spadea-work-oregonian-refuses-then-accepts-pro-tax-ad/
Jan 22, '10
Since I AM a subscriber not in the metro area, does that mean I get to receive a refund for those days I would have gotten it free anyway???
I absolutely cannot STAND those annoying wrappers, regardless of what is on them - so if an advertiser (regardless of who it is), is spending thousands of dollars to advertise on that piece of paper, it's a huge waste of their money
Jan 22, '10
"...Uh, oh... It looks like we have gathering of retired journalism professors at the edge of the Portland village green. Ewww. They look angry. They're really angry at The Oregonian this time. They're doing something... oh they're wheeling something onto the Portland village green.
What is that contraption they are all pushing up into the middle of the commons... oh it's a catapult. They appear to be loading that catapult now. They're loading that catapult full of old manual typewriters. Well I suppose anything made out of metal will hurt of comes down on you from high enough. They're launching that catapult at The Oregonian now......"
Jan 22, '10
Let's not forget that with the first wrapper (as I recall) the editorial page inside insisted that the Measures are already all but dead. (I.e., no need to send in your ballot.) Voters should now, the editorial continued, move on to reflecting about how the special session of the legislature will restructure the entire Oregon state tax code--as outlined by the editorial board itself.
Jan 22, '10
Let’s not forget the ”yes” material that appeared on as first and last pages of the “no” section of the State voters pamphlet. Unlike the Oregonian which is a private enterprise; as a public employee in a position which is supposed to remain neutral, Kate Brown ought to be required to resign over that unethical maneuver – policy or no policy!
Jan 22, '10
Anyone see the Oregonian story that YES has bought the wrap around ad on the Oregonian for tomorrow?
Jan 22, '10
Is all this sturm and drang because the YES side didn't think of the spadea first?
It has been said many times by politicians to "never pick a fight with a business that buys ink by the barrel and paper by the ton".
Could it be that the NO side locked in these final days so that even if the YES side wanted to, it couldn't becuase it was preempted by the NO side? You can't really have two spadea on the front page, now, could you?
As we discussed this issue with friends at coffee, we all noted that it was a clever and effective tactic that won't likely be available in future elections due to many of the issues cited here and elsewhere. For our group, it was more something to talk about rather than influence our vote - we instead used some of the more factual info to help determine our votes. From our group we had 2 YES/NO, and 1 NO/NO for 66/67 respectively.
Jan 22, '10
Is the O a C corp? I bet they have not turned a profit in the last couple of years...
9:11 p.m.
Jan 22, '10
Studs Terkel speaks from the grave…
Jan 22, '10
Just saw Steve Novick on Think Out Loud debating Pat McCormick on M66 & 67. Wow, what a beating. Steve was playing rope-a-dope with Pat and it was just funny. If you didn't see it, you really missed Steve at his finest. I don't even think he broke a sweat.--no surprise there with Pat's lack of knowledge.
The slice & dice of the Vote "no" Whimpering Bakery ad was priceless, but the Pat "Dr. Jeckel" McCormick vs. the Pat "Mr. Hide" McCormick was spot on.
Jan 22, '10
Congratulations LT! Praise God, your are finally into "that whole brevity thing."
Jan 22, '10
Pro-tax group buys wrap-around newspaper ad By Harry Esteve, The Oregonian January 22, 2010, 5:50PM ===
I can't wait for the hypocritical silence from BO on this one...
1:45 a.m.
Jan 23, '10
Let’s not forget the ”yes” material that appeared on as first and last pages of the “no” section of the State voters pamphlet. Unlike the Oregonian which is a private enterprise; as a public employee in a position which is supposed to remain neutral, Kate Brown ought to be required to resign over that unethical maneuver – policy or no policy
Actually, as a matter of law, the Secretary of State is not allowed to decide where they go. Only the person or organization paying for the message is allowed to do that.
Jan 23, '10
Paulie says: Let's find an alternative to public meeting notices and move on.
Done. It's called the Daily Journal of Commerce. It's where the City of Portland "gives notice" of all the meetings it doesn't want the public to attend.
Jan 23, '10
Let's get back to the story itself.
Mr. Van Dongen states "there was indeed such a policy, and that the policy was his own". My understanding is, Mr. Van Dongen has been with the paper less than a year. I.e. he's really, really, really new in Oregonian years.
But, he's already setting company sales policy which was "not a written company position the president or publisher would necessarily have known about"?
So, how was this policy communicated to the sales staff? By word of mouth? A phone tree maybe?
And, nobody thought to tell the president, or the publisher?
Yeah, sure...
Jan 23, '10
OregonLive.com has the electronic equivalent of a spadea for the Yes for Oregon campaign but when you click on "Click here for the facts", the link is broken. A technical glitch or....?
9:08 a.m.
Jan 23, '10
Canceled my subscription of 20+ years on Thursday, no paper Friday or today.
All Good.
Jan 23, '10
Posted by: blackandblue | Jan 22, 2010 10:12:01 PM
Congratulations LT! Praise God, your are finally into "that whole brevity thing."
It is sad to see verbally challenged individuals lashing out. You were a biter in school, weren't you? Growing up with sub-normal verbal intelligence usually leads to that kind of reaction, if not treated. How about you demonstrate your skill at following your own advice, and hone it down to not one word, and leave rw's briefs alone.
Jan 23, '10
It would seem to me that a real newspaper would not be willing to prostitute itself by selling a spadea ad to either side of a ballot measure. Newspapers are suppose to be fair arbitrators in public and governmental matters.
Obviously, "The Oregonian" has taken a page from the Fox-tastic approach to propaganda news where fair and balanced is only a running joke.
Jan 23, '10
It's instructive that, if it came out that opponents of M66/M67 were quitting the O (even if only temporarily) in a momentary pique over an endorsement of a 'YES' vote on M66/67 and/or a 'YES' spadea ad, there'd no doubt be much loud huffing, puffing, and stamping of feet here at BO about that response just being another example of 'extreme right-wing, close-minded, inflexible, reactionary, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, Fox News-viewing, Limbaugh dittohead teabaggers' having a temper tantrum (to paraphrase the late Peter Jennings quote over his distaste for the 1994 Congressional election results)
As it is here with the shoe on the other foot... well, if the shoe fits, wear it!
10:30 a.m.
Jan 23, '10
It's instructive that, if it came out that opponents of M66/M67 were quitting the O....over an endorsement of a 'YES' vote...there'd no doubt be much loud huffing, puffing, and stamping of feet here at BO...As it is here with the shoe on the other foot... well, if the shoe fits, wear it!
Glad you find it instructive. For me, a twenty year subscriber, this is not the first time that I've strongly disagreed with the Oregonian.
It is 2010 now, and I haven't even bothered to bring one of those Spammed phone books out of the ditch and into the house for about three years now, preferring an uninterruped trip to the recycle bin.
I can find news, advertisements, and contact info through Craigslist or The Google, so papers like the O had better at least attempt to appear to be actual newspapers, or they will be dismissed.
Don't get more libertarian Free Market than that, do it...?
Jan 23, '10
I've often wondered how many proud "free market" folks ever worked in retail or other sales.
Pat, that is what some of the "free market" crowd don't understand as well as experienced sales people do:
Any customer has the right NOT to buy any product, and to walk away at any time during a sales pitch.
Jan 23, '10
MP, did you notice I posted something about the story before you did?
Posted by: LT | Jan 22, 2010 6:12:33 PM
Jan 23, '10
Glad to see someone else is as PO'd about the spammed non-phonebooks. I say introduce city legislation to make leaving more than a one page flier at your door littering. Take care of the spammed phone books and teach the O a lesson in one fell swoop.
Would like to hear Jesse's opnion on that tonight .
Jan 23, '10
We have dropped our subscription to The Oregonian. I'll still read it, but I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for it!
Jan 23, '10
We canceled our paper last week due to Spadeagate. Just received a call from the O asking us to re-subscribe for 'a really good deal.' When I declined the salesperson began defending their actions and asked if we had seen today's paper with the 'Yes' spadea. I told her I had seen it and asked her to explain why they delivered a paper to us in lieu of our cancellation. Her response? We wanted you to know we are open to advertising for both sides.
The O is hosed.
Jan 23, '10
Gee, we will run a front page wrap around for Yes even if we have editorialized for No, just to show there are no hard feelings?
Anyone remember how they blew the Packwood coverage and someone came up with this bumper sticker
IF IT MATTERS TO OREGONIANS, IT IS IN THE WASHINGTON POST
not to mention other mistakes over the years?
Jan 23, '10
LT, I remember it well. I used to have one of those bumper stickers, though I didn't put it on my car.
I also remember that the Friday before the election Marlene Smith mentioned the story that was about to come out that weekend, but it was hosed at the last minute.
Jan 23, '10
Thanks, fbear.
And of course there were those of us who thought if the 1992 recount had gone the other way and the candidate who almost won had gotten the nomination, perhaps that election would have turned out differently.
Jan 23, '10
Do you think we could finally put the whole *-"gate" thing to rest? 30+ years is enough.
Jan 23, '10
MP, not sure what silence you are talking about. I just bought the Oregonian today specifically because of the yes wraparound.
I give whoever wrote the ad credit for a "great lead"--that this is not an appropriate place for a political ad, but they had to set the record straight.
I'm getting tired of being told everyone belongs to a "side". If some people have a binary thought process, maybe they need to get out more and actually talk with people they don't always agree with.
Jan 23, '10
Posted by: LT | Jan 23, 2010 5:53:12 PM
If some people have a binary thought process
You have to love someone that would use that phrase in casual conversation!
Jan 23, '10
It amazes me is that no one seems to care that a man (Anderson) who attempts to wield such influence over the election, is not registered to vote in Oregon.
See my above reference to the Daily Kos.
Jan 24, '10
I'm sure all of us who are horrified by paid political advertising in The O will switch to television news, which, after all, doesn't have the taint of political advertising...
Jan 24, '10
Posted by: Rangerhunter | Jan 23, 2010 11:31:50 PM
It amazes me is that no one seems to care that a man (Anderson) who attempts to wield such influence over the election, is not registered to vote in Oregon.
See my above reference to the Daily Kos.
I can't believe that there aren't lynch parties after those out of state interests that financed and helped get the measures on the ballot in the first place!!!
I abhor violence, but if I ever meet one of those folks, I think I will lose it.
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