Many years ago I had the assignment of launching a national daily newspaper and worked closely with a large number of reporters and editors. The one thing I took away from that experience was a healthy respect for the integrity and honesty of the journalists who get out in the streets and gather the news. Ken Kearsley’s accusation of Nazi-type propaganda tactics against the local papers is delusional at best. The Malibu Times is quite fortunate to have an unbiased political reporter of the quality and integrity of Jonathan Friedman. Without such reporters, we would not know of the mess the grants process for the Chili Cook-off purchase has become. We would not know that the city was going deeply in debt and the effect that would have on future park and ball field acquisitions. Councilmember Barovsky who said “I was shocked when I read in the paper about approving $24.6 million” (apparently she does not read staff reports) would be without an unbiased news source.
Unfortunately integrity and honesty do not seem to be journalistic traits of the publisher of The Malibu Times. If he had read his own paper he would have read the statement from the Malibu Coastal Land Conservancy by Steve Uhring that “…we will deliver our challenge funds into an escrow account for the purchase.” Pretty clear? Not to Mr. York. If he had read his own editorials in favor of the firing of the planning commissioners and Proposition M he would know that the MCLC has been working since 1999 to obtain a central park. If he had read The Malibu Times he would know that no one has given more to Malibu charities than Ozzie Silna and that his own paper gave him the Dolphin award.
Perhaps Mr. York has a reason for saying that Ozzie, Steve and I are “not interested in keeping Malibu green.” Aristotle was once asked what those who tell lies gain by it. He said, “Liars, when they speak the truth they are not believed.”
John Mazza