Newspaper Guild Forum Looks at Media Ownership with Emphasis on Koch Brothers

TNG-CWA will host a forum on Wednesday, June 26, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., with a special focus on the bid by the Koch brothers to buy the Tribune Newspapers.

The Koch brothers, who are right wing billionaires and big supporters of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who launched a major attack against public workers and their unions, are interested in buying the newspaper group that includes the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and others. Activists have been protesting outside the Los Angeles Times, raising concerns that the Koch's right-wing agenda would take over news coverage.

The session is titled, "Should the Koch Brothers Own the Tribune Newspapers?" but will go far beyond that debate, said TNG-CWA President Bernie Lunzer said. "The Koch brothers are a good catalyst for this discussion because their interest in the Tribune newspapers has helped renew and expand the debate about who owns and who should own our newspapers, TV stations and other media, and how much of that media any one owner should control."

To participate by webcast, send your name, title, organization and contact information to invest@aflcio.org. The AFL-CIO also is participating in the forum.