Gombossy is probably best remembered here at Consumerist for exposing the dastardly employees-only price-matching web site practices of Best Buy back in 2007.
He wrote his Watchdog column for the Courant for three years, and was the paper's business editor for twelve years before that. So what did he do to justify being shown the door?
The last column, which the paper refused to run, is about a Connecticut Attorney General investigation into mattress emporium Sleepy's. The chain is accused of selling used mattresses as new, and—even worse—selling used mattresses infested with bedbugs as new. Ew.
We're sorry to hear of yet another newspaper losing its consumer columnist, and are particularly annoyed (though not surprised) to hear of this collision of advertising and editorial. Consumerist, like our sister publication Consumer Reports, doesn't accept any advertising.
Gombossy is continuing his column as an independent blog, Connecticut Watchdog—check it out. He's looking for advertisers. Sleepy's has not yet signed up.
UPDATE: The Courant has responded to Gombossy's allegations:
From: Hazell, Naedine
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 12:37
To: Courant News Staff
Subject: Staff updateSince the elimination of George Gombossy's position at the Courant, there's been a great deal of conjecture and misinformation floated in the blogosphere. First of all, there is no relationship between the change in that job and any story George was working on.
One of those stories, a version of which he posted on his personal blog is being held by the newspaper to get answers to certain questions. We are all familiar with the practice of stories being held for more reporting or comment.
Our readers and advertisers do and should expect us to report stories we know are accurate and fully reported. Our advertisers have no influence on what we report, including stories that may include them. In fact, George's farewell column, which appeared yesterday, was critical of CL&P, an advertiser.
And finally, George knew his job was being eliminated while we moved to a Courant-Fox 61 newly-defined consumer reporter position. He did not express interest in the position.
Bloggers may be questioning the Courant and its standards for however long this story lingers but it's important that we all know that our own journalistic and ethical standards have not, and will not, be compromised or altered by our relationship with the subject, whether it's an advertiser, a powerful politician or even a former colleague.
*
Anyone who would like to discuss this sensitive subject further, should contact Jeff, Naedine or Lynne.
Gombossy has responded to this response. You can read it here.
Sleepy's: The bedbug column The Courant refused to publish about its prime advertiser [Connecticut Watchdog]
Hartford Courant Losing Its "Watchdog" [The Laurel]
The Courant truly has gone to Zell in a handbasket. They seem not even to have copy editors. Otherwise that memo from management wouldn't have a hypen in "newly-defined."
]]>@Snarkysnake:
No, it most certainly IS censorship. Get that straight. It is simply not ILLEGAL censorship, which is what it would be if the government engaged in it. The word censorship is not limited to government action. In fact, "censorship" is not generally the relevant term used if it were the government, in any event. "Prior restraint" on publication and is the legal term of art in most instances of (attempted) government censorship.
@HogwartsAlum: Last year I signed up for a Sunday only subscription for my paper because I wanted the coupons.. Then the papers started coming every day. So I had to call and tell them that I only wanted Sundays. It took them a while to get it straight.
After my summer "season" subscription was up.. I did not re-subscribe.
Stupid paper.
]]>@tawni:
Wow, you've really drunk the corporate PR kool-aid. This "we can't comment on HR matters" is usually bull. They absolutely can discuss why they fire someone; they choose not to.
]]>We could use some older, wiser perspective around here!
]]>This is not censorship. Get that straight. Censorship would be if the GOVERNMENT told him he could not publish this article. This is just a stupid ,shortsighted management decision made to protect a well connected ,dishonest advertiser.
This guy has been done dirt ,but not by official means.
]]>They sent me a check for the rest of my subscription and I cashed it but today and yesterday, I got the paper. Same last weekend. Maybe they're trying to make nice?
All I know is, if they send me a bill, I'm not paying it. I canceled so they shouldn't be sending it at all. Ha!
]]>After a while box springs start to get pine oil staining from the wood that makes the frame; so it would be pretty easy to spot a used box spring because it would have stains that like a dog took a leak on it (or a human). Usually, these are made with pine but even if they're made with other wood they'll stain similarly. Mattresses are harder to spot but if they're saggy then someone was taking a nap on it or being a dirty boy!
Condolences to those scammed but there are other places to buy a mattress like non-chain furniture stores and even macy's so...caveat emptor?
]]>George, they did you a favor! You got a jump on your blog instead of having to start one AFTER the Courant folds.
]]>@wrjohnston19283: They likely are unable to comment as that would be an HR issue. This is a good story about yet another person sticking up for consumer rights . It is on the consumerist which is a consumer advocate site and it does not take much to realize it will be biased.
]]>And really, unless you're a major metro paper, the local content is why people buy the damn paper! I can get national and international AP stories on CNN.com, man.
]]>but we don't live in a perfect world... we live in a world where advertising revenues have paid this writer's salary since 1969.
]]>@tbax929:
I meant threw me under the bus. We really need an edit button!
I spent most of my childhood dreaming of becoming a journalist when I got older. Then I became one. I lasted four really miserable years. I can't tell you how many times my own paper through me under the bus anytime somebody's feathers got ruffled by something I wrote. They never fired me over it - in fact the day I quit was a legendary "f you I'm outta here", but I'm sure it was just a matter of time.
It sucks when you realize what you want to do your whole life isn't anything like you dreamed it would be. Thanks, Knight-Ridder.
]]>These are literally the same representatives whose democratic convention was sponsored by AT&T; Replete with branding totebag to all but trumpet pwnership of "our" representatives.
Soon after, 'Telecom Immunity' was declared. I'm less than sanguine about any results of a bill-sponsoring proposal...
]]>I guess everyone else's crap stinks but their own .
I'd venture to say there were others who wanted to see Mr. Gombossy go . This was just a more palitable excuse .
As far as the bed bugs just after seeing the stories here about damaged or lost merchandise I can picture the status of this particular box spring being unknown to an employee who probably handles thousands of box springs a year and/or doesn't care . Bed bugs are making a nasty return after being almost irradicated decades ago . This is not a problem to take lightly .
My guess is that the same warehouse or store has customer returns near the new ones . You might of have had a manager trying to make a deadline or a customer sale and give them the first thing they saw .
I undertand Consumer Reports wanting to be advertiser free because it does remove even the perception of influence . But sometimes the benefit of having information and stories out there with funding from advertisers is better than no informantion at all .
Best of Luck to George Gombossy . Consumers need reporter and writers like him .
]]>It's a JRC paper or nothing, for her now. Unfortunately.
]]>It's not the same George as the O.P., but close enough.
]]>@PsiCop:
It is the bedding, not the bed. Old, less than clean bedding (eggs, dormant bugs etc) is stored for future usage. New bed comes to the home. And the old bedding is used to cover the new bed. Give it a few days and bingo, instant bed bug infestation.
PS: In my case, my grandmother had a quilt she covered her couch. We thought it was clean. Even gave it a wash to just make sure. It wasn't, and air drying the heavy quilt didn't do anything to kill the blood suckers. Health Department said this a common problem with old bedding being transfered from home to home. Same issues with head lice and various fleas.
]]>@Hanshiro:
Ah, NEVER, never is a long time, but not nearly long enough for these whores.
]]>@Vanilla5:
"This is the type of bloody nonsense, up with which I will not put"
WINSTON CHURCHILL
]]>Sorry. Not buying it. Not sure how stupid you think I am, but I'm still not buying it.
]]>@mac-phisto: Fair enough. It's been a few years since I've called CT home, and my recollection of the Rep-Am was as a print version of Craigslist. I'm glad to hear that either my memory was faulty or they've changed course (likely the former).
]]>No, not Yellow Journalism.
/sarcasm.
]]>@PsiCop:
Prove Bedbugs.
Sorry. Oldest complaint in the world. Actually one of the hardest complaints to prove.
Begbugs and their blood sucking cousins can lie dormant for weeks, months or even years between blood feasts and most often will hide in bedding (mattresses, blankets etc) and can be easily carried from bed to bed. Considering a new mattress often means bedding is transferred from the old bed to the new bed, bed bug infestation events can be triggered with the introduction of a new mattress.
]]>The Akre case showed there's no requirement for truth in broadcast news, lets push for that to change. It's a policy I was pushing with the US Pirate Party, and one I'll be pushing since I've stepped down from running the international shebang (because of my health). He probably couldn't even claim whistleblower status or similar over it.
Seriously, lets see what our elected representatives feel about making news report the truth.
]]>you want to read ass-fodder, pick up a danbury news-times sometime. reminds me of my days writing for a high school paper.
]]>@Hanshiro: Ah, whoring. Also known as the naming rights business. And why I go out of my way to not patronize companies that are big-time Johns and whores.
/begin rant
Now if only more and more people would stop attending johns' events or events at the johns' stadiums we might be able to read a story about something that doesn't have the john's and whore's name in it.
/end of rant.
Also ... that the A.G. is investigating this, makes it news. Yes, Dick Blumenthal is an attention hound who never met a press-conference camera he didn't love. Yes, it's very possible he's off-course and that the problem is "shipping damage." Even with all of that ... it nevertheless IS a news story. If the Courant spiked it, some other outlet would have picked it up.
Is it possible that Sleepy's could coerce every paper and station in Connecticut into spiking the story? They're a ubiquitous advertiser, so it's certainly possible they could accomplish it .. but it's not necessarily guaranteed that they could.
As for the idea that the problem is only "shipping damage," that's belied by the fact that bedbugs are not "shipping damage." Just saying.
]]>This is an example of why many people don't like "blogs" and similar sites, such as consumerist. Someone posts something on their site, and it's picked up by several other sites, which are in turn are picked up by others. The Consumerist links to someone, who was simply saying "hey, bob over at blog1 found this article by john at blog2".
That being said, if Laura had included information to the effect of "the courant has not been contacted" or "the courant has no response", it would have been helpful.
]]>Whores (news media) seledom critize their Johns (advertisers).
That said, read the link.
10 mattresses from 74 stores had "groves and deep depressions". Grooves and deep depressions could (more likely) be shipping damage rather than prior use.
Obviously a consumer is entitled to a replacement either way, but shipping damage is a minor problem compared to violation of Federal and State law when selling used mattresses as new.
Sounds like the newspaper wanted additional proof of fault or cause before publishing potentially damaging information. Seems reasonable, especially as the AG had yet to complete an investigation. Considering the AG is a well known aggressive SOB with regards to consumer protection and anti-business, if the AG had suspected sales of used goods, I am quite sure the AG would have been especially aggressive in the investiagation. As it is, it appears the AG is investigating at a slow pace which indicates shipping damage rather than used goods.
]]>I admire his integrity. That Sleepy's story is horrifying.
]]>BTW - I was born in 1963, although people say I look 10 years younger...
]]>My mother subscribes, though, and she's on the phone with them right now, canceling. The only other daily that delivers in her area is a Journal Register paper. I guess she'll have to go with that.
Talk about a rock and a hard place. Yuck.
]]>It's a shame. As others here have stated, his column was the last decent part of The Courant. And it's frustrating, because while I resolved to stop reading it once I heard of his firing, there is no other real place to get comprehensive news about CT. Some of the TV stations have sites, but for the most part they are fluff. And the other CT papers are just no good, really.
]]>It's called 'whoring' and I don't feel like paying to prop up some media outlet to lie to me. It's why I don't watch the asinine parody that cable news has become.
I'll never forget the media cheerleading for the Iraq war. Never.
At least online, I don't have to take one source's (apparently paid) PR spin on things.
George Gombossy is doing it right, and my best wishes for him to land on his feet. "Never give up, never give in,' indeed!
As for the Hartford Courant, I think a free mattress from 'Itchy & Scratchy,' er, I mean 'Sleepy's' for the owners and editors is in order...
]]>@downwithmonstercable: As PsiCop said, there isn't any alternative to those who want a paper. A lot of smaller papers are gone-there's really just them, the Register in New Haven, and the Waterbury Republican and the Register or the Republican aren't exactly hard-jitting journalism. At least they weren't when I lived there, and I doubt there's been improvement.
]]>This was pretty much the last of the columnists that I read the Courant for. I'm glad that when my subscription was up for renewal, I didn't opt for a full-year renewal. I had a suspicion that the paper was finally reaching the point where it was no longer worth paying the subscription fee. Losing George is the nail in the coffin for me.
]]>@PsiCop: Cancel your subscription and tell others to cancel. If they think they won't lose readers just because of no competition, make it known that's not the case. I cancelled my paper subscription years ago because of weird stuff like this. Haven't missed it. I get all my news online anyway from several sources.
]]>"To hell with them. When history is written they will be the sons of bitches - not I." ~ Harry S. Truman
Looks like George and Harry have stuff in common.
]]>Unfortunately, however, it remains Connecticut's "newspaper of record." That is, perhaps, the reason it has made so many disastrous changes ... there really is no serious competition ... no other statewide dailies to make it straighten up and fly right. It does have localized competition, to be sure, some of it decent. But none are statewide papers, and several of them (e.g. the New Haven Register) are Journal Register papers, which are even worse.
This is why the Courant gets away with being so horribly bad. They don't have to be any good.
]]>Maybe there is a bright side to this.
No doubt the Hartford Courant is experiencing major financial problems, like every other daily in the US. So now George can beat the Courant to the punch in the blogosphere and take the wind out of their sails.
The phenomenon of shedding local news reports in local dailies seems to be increasing in favor of using wire services or "shared content" with other media outlets. Newspapers are losing consumer reporters, arts and television critics, and other locally-oriented content.
Good luck, George. You may have the last laugh!
]]>