Los Angeles Metblogs » Tony Pierce muzzles Times bloggers over John Edwards.

Tony Pierce muzzles Times bloggers over John Edwards.

Posted By David Markland On July 25, 2008 @ 2:10 pm In LA bloggers, Media, Politics | Comments Disabled

Tony Pierce issued a memo yesterday morning to LA Times bloggers requesting they not to discuss John Edwards alleged affair ^[1].

From: “Pierce, Tony”

Date: July 24, 2008 10:54:41 AM PDT

To: [XXX]

Subject: john edwards

Hey bloggers,

There has been a little buzz surrounding John Edwards and his alleged affair. Because the only source has been the National Enquirer we have decided not to cover the rumors or salacious speculations. So I am asking you all not to blog about this topic until further notified.

If you have any questions or are ever in need of story ideas that would best fit your blog, please don’t hesitate to ask

Keep rockin,

Tony

After this leaked to the MSM ^[2], Executive Editor Meredith Artley sent a follow up email doing damage control ^[3]:

Various colleagues on the 3rd floor have been working on reporting the story. I made the decision that while we are working on verifying if this has any truth to it, we should stay away from joining the fray. We still don’t know that, and national and metro are still pursuing.

If the Times was working on an exclusive of some sort, and they’d asked their bloggers to not write about new details found in house, that would be one thing. But Tony’s email told them not to even opine on the existing controversy.

I’m speechless.

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Article printed from Los Angeles Metblogs: http://la.metblogs.com

URL to article: http://la.metblogs.com/2008/07/25/tony-pierce-muzzles-times-bloggers-over-john-edwards/

URLs in this post:

[1] John Edwards alleged affair: http://californiafaultline.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/national-enquirer-site-crashes-upon-report-of-john-edwards-affair/

[2] After this leaked to the MSM: http://www.slate.com/id/2195914

[3] Executive Editor Meredith Artley sent a follow up email doing damage control: http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2008/07/times_bloggers_told_not_t.php#more

[4] John Leech, founder of Onyx Cafe, passes away: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/03/19/john-leech-founder-of-onyx-cafe-passes-away/

[5] SGV Bloggers Picnic, Saturday 12-4@Farnsworth Park: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/03/27/sgv-bloggers-picnic-saturday-12-4farnsworth-park/

[6] One Year Later: Still Seeking Justice For John McGraham: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/10/12/one-year-later-still-seeking-justice-for-john-mcgraham/

[7] LA Times Gets a New Blog-esque Look: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/08/13/la-times-gets-a-new-blog-esque-look/

[8] NY Times spotlights Venice shops: http://la.metblogs.com/2008/12/19/ny-times-spotlights-venice-shops/

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