Tobacco, the Times Union, and conflicts of interest

Old e-mail, now an Open Letter of sorts:

Date: September 21, 2012 9:32:25 AM EDT

To: Scott Waldman, Rex Smith

I was not happy when the Times Union ran "A puff of flavor" in 2011:

http://www.timesunion.com/living/article/A-puff-of-flavor-1430488.php

https://secure.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?newsdate=3/12/2012&navigation=nextprior&category=LIFE&storyID=1060020

You'd described Joseph Finora in print and online as a "freelance writer" and the article as "Special to the Times Union."

I'd written back then, though my letter wasn't published, to point out that Finora writes for several tobacco industry publications published by Lockwood Publications, Inc. http://www.lockwoodpublications.com/index2.html which has published tobacco industry trade journals for 140 years - since 1872: http://www.lockwoodpublications.com/history.html

Some of Finora's articles, which go back years:

SMOKE Magazine: http://www.smokemag.com/0906/feature.htm (search: "joseph finora" site:smokemag.com )

Smokeshop Magazine: http://www.smokeshopmag.com/0600/dist.htm ( "joseph finora" site:smokeshopmag.com )

Tobacco International Magazine: http://www.tobaccointernational.com/1007/ ( "joseph finora" site:tobaccointernational.com )

Tobacco Products International Magazine: http://www.tobaccoproductsmag.com/winter-07/promotions.htm ("joseph finora" site:tobaccoproductsmag.com )

I hadn't sent this last, but it's interesting too. Finora's been working for trade publications since the 1980s at least:

Legacy Tobacco Documents Library http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/ ("Search the Documents": finora):

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/usl01d00

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/uae88a00

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/tut98a00

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dcp68a00

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/foe13c00

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/jge03e00

http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ait82c00

E.g. "Editor Joe Finora wants to do a phoner with Emerson regarding his racing career and diet and how it relates to success on the track")

You did publish, in your "Letters to the Editor," some criticism of Finora's "article":

Snifkoff, Louis S. "Forget the cigars; clear the air for dad" https://secure.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=1063979&category=OPINION

I don't believe any were published that noted Finora's work for tobacco trade publications, as mine had. I also brought it up later with the TU after a meeting at the TU's offices where you'd invited some readers to come in to comment on some different possible layouts for the TU. The "article" still being online, wouldn't it be responsible to at least note Finora's tobacco trade publication relationship there, finally?

I had missed that you'd run a "PRWeb" advertisement/"press release" this year on Father's Day: http://www.timesunion.com/business/press-releases/article/Show-Dad-a-Better-Smoking-Choice-for-Father-s-Day-3607330.php At least that's about a smoking cessation product, but given that it's an advertisement and not an article, I don't know how successful such a product is, nor do your readers - not from that advertisement, anyway.

Your running that, in turn, gets picked up on other websites, e.g.:

http://smokelesscigarettesreviews.com/smokelesscigarettes/smokeless-cigarette-reviews/smokeless-electronic-cigarettes-a-good-fathers-day-gift-idea-albany-times-union

http://electroniccigarettenewz.com/2012/06/05/this-fathers-day-give-dad-what-he-really-needs-albany-times-union/1258

etc.

To turn to another matter, when it comes to your coverage of the University at Albany: shouldn't you *always* be mentioning that TU publisher George R. Hearst III is the President of the University at Albany Foundation's Board of Directors http://www.albany.edu/uafoundation/uaf_board_of_directors_list.shtml ? Your past sponsorship of the Giants' training camp at the University at Albany, etc.?

Bryce, Jill. "Giants camp gets new backers." Daily Gazette [Schenectady, NY]. July 19, 1997: B6. ("The Times Union will pay $158,000 to the University at Albany for maintenance and security for the 1997 training camp […] The Giants put the Capital Region on the map and hopefully in the big picture it will generate revenues. […] the Giants training camp fell short of economic expectations […] local business owners, who had hoped out-of-town Giants fans would spend money by eating, shopping and drinking locally, said last summer that business was much slower than expected. Many also said fans didn't come from great distances to watch the team practice. […] Because the Times Union covers the University at Albany, its sports programs and the Giants summer camp, there's a possibility for conflict of interest […] "We simply talk about this a lot and do our darndest to prevent it" […] University at Albany President Dr. Karen Hitchcock said no university money will be used to offset the costs to have the Giants train at the university.")

The Times Union has done a lot of reporting about the Giants summer camp over the years, perhaps this year more than most. How often do they mention their having spent so much money for it for so many years, without which it might not have continued to be at UAlbany?

How often do TU articles about the University at Albany mention that TU publisher George R. Hearst III is the President of the University at Albany Foundation?

Wyland, Roger. "Rodger's quick take." Albany Times Union. August 22, 2012. http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Rodger-s-quick-take-3808604.php ("Why all the fuss over the Giants' hazing incident? It's over with, and the only person to blame is punter Steve Weatherford, who posted the video on Twitter, and then apologized. Boys will be boys, but the video usually stays in house. Prince Amukamara, who got dunked for the eighth time in two years, did not get hurt, and head coach Tom Coughlin made his point. So much for a quiet preseason. NewsChannel 13's Rodger Wyland can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon on WOFX 980 AM.")