SFist: Tim Redmond Responds to SF Bay Guardian's Lawsuit Victory

fez

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:07:30 -0800

SF Weekly was not selling ads for less than the market would bear. Rather, the Guardian argued its competitor "sold below cost" because expenses outweighed income. Key to SF Weekly's cost structure is the fact it employs more than twice as many full-time reporters as the Guardian, and pays more than twice what Guardian reporters earn. As a result of this investment, SFW stories have provoked California Assembly hearings on defrauding the elderly, exposed abuses by local labor bosses, exposed the Navy's Hunters Point nuclear activities, exposed the SF Giants' illegal toxic dumping, uncovered and halted an illegal SFO plot to siphon public funds to Honduras, and so on. Lacking space, I name a mere fraction of SFW stories that have elevated San Francisco public life. The Guardian seeks an injunction to slash this investment in journalists and journalism. This is Brugmann/Redmond's idea of social justice? For whom?

mpantone

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:46:22 -0800

Now remind us again, what is this "print publishing" thing?

DC1974

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:31:36 -0800

Having worked in publishing long enough, I can tell you that nothing that SF Weekly did is not what anyone in publishing does. Including the SFBG (which is widely known for strong arming their advertisers, I'm surprised that SFWeekly did subpoena any ex-SFBG employees). Anyway, if this stands, it will perhaps set a precedent and considering how rough things are for publishing, and publishers looking for anyone to blame but themselves, I expect we'll see more of these lawsuits. Or perhaps not, no other publication sees the world in quite the paranoid way that the SFBG does. I guess we are lucky about that.

Greg

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:27:24 -0800

in an ideal world they'd use some of that money to hire more competent reporters and do more, um, reporting of news, but I ain't holdin' my breath.

brittney

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:36:03 -0800

With all the proverbial dick measuring the two parties were doing while the trial was going on, I'm surprised the BG isn't pimping their win a little harder.

McAwkward

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:26:29 -0800

Can't say for certain, but I forecast an open tab at Thee Parkside tonight.