The measure sought to reduce the size of Baltimores City Council from 14 to eight.
His media properties cultivate a similar audience.
TheSun, under Smiths ownership, quickly showed signs of this editorial bent, leading many staffers to revolt.
Photo illustration by Matthew Cooley. Photograph in illustration by Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
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Deportations
Long before the advent ofDonald Trumps political movement, Smith experimented with the political power of local news.
This effort was redoubled in the Trump era.
The lovefest between Smith and Trump was mutual.
This would have been a great and much needed Conservative voice for and of the People.
The Baltimore Sunis part and parcel of Baltimore City.
Now, however, she says, I read it under protest sometimes.
Others are giving up their subscriptions altogether.
Smiths only response toRolling Stones repeated requests for comment was a hearty Not interested!
THE BALTIMORE SUNwas once one of Americas great newspapers, the home of H.L.
Mencken, Laura Lippman,David Simon, Russell Baker, and numerous Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters and editors.
Smiths purchase of theSunmight well stick the fork in the cooked carcass of that model.
This was always the devil to be resisted.
It was a temptation not to play the kingmaker or put your hand on the scales.
Alatzas has not returned repeated messages requesting comment.
But, still, the remaining staff members were devastated when they realized who their new boss would be.
Rodricks has since announced his retirement.
They got the opposite.
You will become in the poll business.
We ask very simple questions, Smith says.
What is it youre most afraid of?
Love sees in these numbers a policy advocacy position.
But at least one prominent member of Baltimores Black community doesnt agree with this assessment of Smiths priorities.
I just dont see him as racist.
Fox 45 has been waging war on Scotts administration since 2020, when he won the office.
David says to me, I dont know Sheila.
Can you introduce me?
I got a proposition.
I want to put together 10-12 people and give Dixon enough money to win the race.
Dixon denies agreeing to any terms or being buddy buddy with Smith.
People working in City Hall were getting nervous.
It just got everyone involved all greasy.
Though his candidates lost in the primary, Smith still had the ballot measure in the general election.
Hepaidmore than $400,000 to get the 10,000 signatures required to put the referendum on the ballot.
The paper also ran full-page ads in support of the initiative.
Smith had good reason to believe the ballot measure would pass.
I dont agree with him on reducing the size of the city council, so Im nowhere near that.
I dont align myself with that.
I dont believe that, Hathaway says.
Scotts former campaign manager set up aStop Sinclaircampaign.
People deserve to know how those things intersect.
And, to address the mayor, Smith took to the op-ed page of the paper.
I cant do my job if editors are going to undercut me like this.
This may, in fact, be part of the plan.
The owner of those papers ultimately transferred all the papers to theNational Trust for Local Newsin 2023.
Smith is certainly making the paper more like a tabloid than a traditional metropolitan daily.
Can we do that now?
Is that on the table?
Absolutely, Smith says.
As it relates to government, everything is on the table.
Tabloids do this kind of stuff.
Tabloids also pay sources for information.
Mainstream papers do not.
Those reporters were not laid off but moved to other desks.
And some were never even uttered by the person quoted, the Guildtweetedin a thread showing these errors.
TheSunregrets the error, but this ownership sure doesnt, they concluded.
I have lots of union people who work for me all over the country, Smith said.
I have no issue with unions.
The point is, what have you been doing for the last 12 years?
Were not political appointees.
Our fight is importantly not a partisan one.
It is purely a fight for the journalism.
When they announced the byline strike, about a dozen staff members came out to support the union.
As the nation was choosing a right-wing populist, Baltimore voters resoundingly rejected Smith and his ballot measure.
No matter how many stations or newspapers you buy up.
