There’s favoritism and cozy relationships, and then there’s the Boston Red Sox buying the Boston Globe.
In a troubling sign of newspaper decline, Red Sox principle owner John Henry purchased the Globe over the weekend for $70 million dollars. The last time it was sold in 1993, the New York Times Co. bought it for 1.1 billion, a shocking depreciation to say the least.
On the coverage side, there are bound to be conflicts of interest here. Will Globe writers be able to take the Sox to task on bad trades, losing streaks or even the concession stands at Fenway? This should be interesting.
From the NY Times:
The news that Henry, the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox, was acquiring The Globe, New England’s largest newspaper, resonated most profoundly in its sports department, where this reporter worked for many years.
“We don’t know what the new situation is going to be in terms of hierarchy, but I would hope to be able to continue to cover the Red Sox the way we always have, “ the sports editor, Joe Sullivan, said.
