Hartford Votes Against Koch Tribune Purchase

City council passes resolution opposing Koch Industry purchase of Tribune Co. newspapers, including the Hartford Courant

The city of Hartford, Conn., has condemned the possible purchase of the Tribune Co.'s newspaper division, which would include the Hartford Courant, by Charles and David Koch.

The resolution was introduced on May 28 at the height of the rumors that the Kochs would make a bid to buy the Tribune's eight newspapers, which includes the Los Angeles Times. On Monday, it passed, the Hartford Courant reported.

Also read: Coalition Protests Tribune Sale to 'Radical Right Wing' Koch Brothers

"Whereas, residents of Hartford need independent journalism with truthful reporting as essential to a healthy democracy … and whereas, the takeover of the Hartford Courant by Koch Industries threatens to replace independent and unbiased news coverage with an outside, extreme, partisan and sensational national corporate agenda as has been shown elsewhere … therefore be it resolved, that the Court of Common Council supports operation of professional, objective, and locally-useful news coverage for Hartford residents and opposes a Koch Industries media takeover," read the resolution.

Council members who are members of the Working Families Party backed the resolution. A MoveOn.org petition opposing a Koch brothers purchase of the paper has amassed more than 4,000 signatures.

Also read: 'Citizen Koch' Filmmaker Joins Protest of Kochs' Purchase of Tribune Co.

Other demonstrations to try to prevent the sale of Tribune papers have included a 6-million-member coalition of Common Cause, Courage Campaign, Credo Action, Daily Kos, Forecast the Facts, Free Press and Working Families; and a protest in New York City that included the WGA East and other unions.

OC Register publisher Aaron Kushner and Rupert Murdoch have previously expressed interest in Tribune newspapers. Hartford has yet to issue any resolutions condemning them.

Neither Koch Industries nor the Tribune Co. responded to requests for comment.

 

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