Purchase of Independent brings to question editorial independence
Missoula, Montana’s alternative weekly publication, The Missoula Independent, posted a Facebook status Thursday morning that has since accumulated more than 40 shares. The news was worth sharing, that’s true, and the status’ opening lines signaled just that:
“Gotta admit, we hate to get scooped on news like this, but we just found out this morning. We’re working hard to cover the story, and will have more news throughout the day and week.”
It wasn’t community-related breaking news or any other regular “scoop.” It was an article from the Missoulian, the city’s daily newspaper.
The Independent had been sold, and the staff was just then finding out.
Though concerning that the paper’s editor and staff weren’t in on the sale until it closed or was nearly closed (editor Brad Tyer found out Wednesday night), it isn’t a huge shock that a small alt-weekly would be purchased by a larger media company.
Most concerning in this case is that the media company is Lee Enterprises, which also owns the Missoulian — the daily, and the Independent’s biggest competition. The Missoulian also announced the sale, meaning the Independent not only got “scooped,” but scooped by their adversary no less.
It is tradition for alt-weekly publications to cover the content the local daily misses, and sometimes cover the same content better. Tyer told The Montana Kaimin that just because the two papers are now on the “same team” doesn’t mean they’re about to be best buds — in fact, he said just the opposite. He sees the purchase as a chance to differentiate the Independent from its daily foe even further.
“We’re not going to pull any punches, and if we get told to pull punches, you are probably going to see an exodus,” Tyer said.
Tyer deserves a high five from anyone who believes in a free and balanced press, if not a hug and frosty beer. This is the response everyone in Missoula should be happy to hear. Despite the financial realities that led the Independent to this situation, the news coverage and editorial tenacity shouldn’t change as a result.
Even though Lee Enterprises promised that the Independent’s staff and editorial independence would continue as it has since the publication’s humble beginnings, people familiar with the media-company-buyout situation aren’t so ready to believe it.
An editorial titled “So, about that sale…” released Thursday afternoon a few hours after the initial Facebook status, addressed the same concerns about editorial independence expressed by community members across all social platforms in the hours following the initial announcement.
“We are led to understand that the Independent will retain full editorial independence,” the editorial reads. “Are we skeptical? Damn right we’re skeptical. Skepticism is kind of what we do. And reporting.”
It would be easy to back down and accept the repercussions of the sale, especially in the dicey, “alternative fact” climate we live in. Being a ruthless, honest, community-loving journalist is not a simple or glamorous job.
As the situation with the Independent, the Missoulian and Lee Enterprises develops, I’ll be rooting for Tyer and his crew to stay true to that ruthless, honest, community-loving journalism. Anyone else who loves their First Amendment rights should too.
Lyndsie Kiebert
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