[Incest is best: Neuharth and Freedom Forum pal Overby]
Overpaid former Gannett CEO Al Neuharth is honoring equally overpaid Freedom Forum CEO and buddy Charles Overby with the 2008 Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media. Could there possibly be a more deserving recipient? After all, Overby excelled at paying Neuharth a $225,000 salary plus a $200,545 expense account for doing -- well, we don't know, since the non-profit foundation devoted to press freedom refuses to explain Neuharth's duties.
Meanwhile, the Neuharth-controlled non-profit has paid former Gannett executive Overby $526,593 a year, public documents show. Plus, Overby -- who pushed through the controversial $450 million Newseum in Washington, D.C. -- has done a crackerjack job of protecting the First Amendment. Readers here will recall that the politically-connected Overby moonlights as a director at for-profit prison chain Corrections Corporation of America. As a director, he contributed $25,000 to the company's political action committee -- a PAC that has battled congressional legislation that would strengthen the federal Freedom of Information Act, public documents show. Now, that's some most excellent behavior!The award is co-sponsored by Neuharth's alma mater, the University of South Dakota, where the campus paper reported Overby's selection on its website. "So, the Al Neuharth award goes to the hand-picked CEO of his own institution,'' a reader said in a comment on the story. "How do you spell 'incestuous'?"
"Yes, it was a bit of a stretch,'' a second reader wrote. "Al actually had to walk seven feet from his office to tell Charles the news. Given how many scores of dedicated journalists have died this year trying to get stories out -- including the posthumously awarded Pulitzer winner for spot news photography -- the notion of giving an award to the head of journalism's largest country club is perplexing."
Earlier: Questions for Freedom Forum -- and for trustee Ken Paulson, the top editor of USA Today
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WTF????
ReplyDeleteDoes that old generation not yet realize that they no longer get it?
Dudes, it's not your world any more! Get the F out of the way!
Pretty building, but at $20 a ticket, I hear visitors really falling off. I am waiting for the next 1099 forms to see how the Foundation is doing financially. They have poured all their money in this building and with the stock market turmoil and these extravagant salaries, they cannot be doing well.
ReplyDeleteI hope next year's award goes to the person or group that's gutsy enough to dive into and tell readers about Correction Corp. of American's contracts with government entities such as ICE.
ReplyDeleteCharging $20 is totally narcissistic. Who would pay that much to go there??
ReplyDeleteThat $20 admission fee is almost as bad as the Coke Museum in Atlanta
ReplyDeleteThe Freedom Forum has been inbred for the beginning. I watched the it as Gannett gave the foundation to Al to get rid of him. I watch him build the playhouse across the street. And then move downtown. So much waste. It is sad situation. I watched several people I used to respect move over for the money. Write a book for Al and you got a job. Chis, Peter and others.
ReplyDelete" anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWTF????
Does that old generation not yet realize that they no longer get it?
Dudes, it's not your world any more! Get the F out of the way!
9/14/2008 4:27 AM"
I sure hope someone lets YOU cross the street 'should' you get to be that age Sonny.
other wise, gfy........
Let Overby have the "award." It's unlikely that anyone else would want it, since it's named after an egotistical nut job.
ReplyDelete