Finally understanding that he works for The Arizona Republic's readers, Publisher John Zidich announced just hours ago that he has quit the governing board of the scandal-plagued Fiesta Bowl, rather than further risk the reputation of Gannett's second-biggest daily.
His resignation came under public pressure, nearly two weeks after an investigation revealed serious spending irregularities at the non-profit sponsor of one of college football's most prestigious championship events.
Zidich said he resigned from the board to remove "any question of the ongoing strong independence of our newsroom in covering these (Bowl investigation) stories,'' according to the Republic.
Zidich, who also is president of GCI's regional West Group of newspapers, joined the Fiesta Bowl board in 2005. Five years later, he was added to the five-member executive committee as secretary.
In a report released March 29, investigators found "a culture of excessive spending on bowl employees, politicians and business associates despite rules barring it from using its money to benefit individuals; a system of campaign contributions that could run afoul of state and federal campaign laws; and accounts of efforts by bowl staffers to mislead government investigators."
As long ago as December 2009, the Republic had reported that five former and current employees said they'd been directed to contribute to political candidates, and then were reimbursed for those donations. The practice, which employees said dated back to 2000, could violate state and federal campaign laws making it a crime to circumvent prohibitions on direct corporate political donations, the Republic said.
The day after the investigators' report was published, Arizona State University journalism professor Tim McGuire, in a widely circulated post, urged Zidich to either quit the bowl -- or the publisher's job.
Last week, the Republic felt it necessary to start adding a disclaimer to its stories, disclosing Zidich's ties to the group.
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Zidich said he resigned from the board to remove "any question of the ongoing strong independence of our newsroom in covering these (Bowl investigation) stories,'' according to the Republic.
Zidich, who also is president of GCI's regional West Group of newspapers, joined the Fiesta Bowl board in 2005. Five years later, he was added to the five-member executive committee as secretary.
In a report released March 29, investigators found "a culture of excessive spending on bowl employees, politicians and business associates despite rules barring it from using its money to benefit individuals; a system of campaign contributions that could run afoul of state and federal campaign laws; and accounts of efforts by bowl staffers to mislead government investigators."
As long ago as December 2009, the Republic had reported that five former and current employees said they'd been directed to contribute to political candidates, and then were reimbursed for those donations. The practice, which employees said dated back to 2000, could violate state and federal campaign laws making it a crime to circumvent prohibitions on direct corporate political donations, the Republic said.
The day after the investigators' report was published, Arizona State University journalism professor Tim McGuire, in a widely circulated post, urged Zidich to either quit the bowl -- or the publisher's job.
Last week, the Republic felt it necessary to start adding a disclaimer to its stories, disclosing Zidich's ties to the group.
What a big nothing. Give me a break. People serve on boards all the time, mostly ceremonial, but usually without compensation. They are there for advice and counsel. Not to run the place and surely not to be held accountable for wayward employees.
ReplyDelete"Finally understanding"
ReplyDeleteJim, these Gannett boys will circle the wagons tighter and tighter, protecting their own, until whatever or whomever they're circling becomes an embarrassment for them. Ethics are a very far, distant second to these people.
9:46 Governing boards are there to provide oversight of management, and to protect the public's interests. Board members -- and this includes Zidich in this case -- ultimately are accountable for whatever management does.
ReplyDeletePeople like Zidich too often think they can sit on boards and do nothing, other than accept the higher social status such seats confer.
But then scandals like this erupt, and the Zidiches of the world realize they weren't doing their job -- and pay the price, when their reputations are tarnished.
If Zidich wasn't willing to provide at least minimum oversight, he should never have joined the board in the first place.
This guy is golden. He was just here at crystal palace for the big gannet shindig. Almost won the big schwinging uknowwhat award.
ReplyDelete"people like Zidich" Dude do you regularly engage in stereotypes? Do you known John Zidich, have you spent time with him? Do you know about the work he has done to raise money for poor families in the areas he has worked? Jim that really crosses the line. Any sentence that starts with "people like ....." is usually spoken by a guy with a white hood over his face. You are out of lIne. Who made you judge and jury? "people like Zidich" Really Jim.
ReplyDeleteI know this isn't popular and anyone on the blog is suppose to hate anyone in power and or anyone that has a great salary, but I have to say I've known John Zidich for years both in Reno and Phoenix and he's a good egg. He is running a paper and a region during the worst time in the history of our business and quite frankly the decisions he has to make suck but that doesn't mean he is a jerk. Sorry if the haters don't like to hear it but not everyone in power is a jerk. I am a Zidich fan! Now pile on haters, it's what you do best!
ReplyDeletePeople like Jim hate because they could never achieve greatness. People like Jim try to destroy people because they hate their own lack of success. I mean how would like to be in a position after working all your life and you have to resort to begging disgruntled people for money so you can by milk, people like Jim are sad and people lime us should feel bad for people like him!
ReplyDeletePeople like Jim will NEVER let these posts stay up!
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is, it's a conflict of interest.
ReplyDeleteGannett clearly has in their Principles of Ethics that conflicts of interest should not happen, because they believe that it can cause the readers to question their integrity.
What's good for the journalists is also good for the publisher.
9:46, you'd be correct if the "wayward employees" you referred to wasn't the CEO of the Fiesta Bowl, John Junker, who is directly accountable to the board. And, The Arizona Republic has recently shown some questionable alliances in the John Zidich Fiesta Bowl thing and Mike Ryan, Publisher of the Scottsdale Republic's involvement with the Scottsdale Chamber which included some questionable advertising. Ryan, subsequently resigned his board position as well. And by the way, he's accountable to Zidich. So much for the "local" papers' responsibility to the local readership.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who cannot see the problem facing Zidich, and that it was a problem of his own making, must be blind.
ReplyDeleteThe only board members I'm aware of who seem to simply be along for the ride are those on the G A N N E T T board of directors.
Mr. Zidch needs to worry more about whats happening in his big az republic house. The employees are never considered and he has people in roles of power they do not belong in and certain people like a director that cares only about himself. This organization is falling apart ! Only a matter of time before a lawsuit will bring them to there knees.
ReplyDeleteI know this isn't popular and anyone on the blog is suppose to hate anyone in power and or anyone that has a great salary, but I have to say I've known John Zidich for years both in Reno and Phoenix and he's a good egg. He is running a paper and a region during the worst time in the history of our business and quite frankly the decisions he has to make suck but that doesn't mean he is a jerk. Sorry if the haters don't like to hear it but not everyone in power is a jerk. I am a Zidich fan! Now pile on haters, it's what you do best!
ReplyDelete4/11/2011 11:14 PM
If I didn't know better, I would say this is form Karen Crotchfelt - the now publisher and president of the Indianapolis Star, but before was Senior VP of circ and advertising at the AZ Republic and Zidich and her worked closely together at Reno and he brought her on board. Hi Karen
I've met John and Karen, and am sure John's in a jam he wasn't intending which is why every Fiesta Bowl article the paper ran for the past couple weeks had a footnote regarding John's board affiliatian. As for Karen, she's probably thinking her trip back to Phoenix as Publisher might be sooner than expected.
ReplyDeleteWhat you all see to forget is that The Arizona Republic under the leadership of Zidich broke the story that exposed all of the issues with the bowl. It kinda shows me that the man has integrity does it not? What is your problem? Zidich is one of the hardest working people I know and is a class act. Save your venom for other that deserve it and not him.
ReplyDeleteIf it is Karen , she is correct, John has the highest integrity, but the problem is he has people working for him that do not! He needs to come down a few levels to find quality and integrity. He is a smart man. I am sure he will figure it out. Karen , you absence is a void! You'd be laughing if you saw the power struggle going on! It's quite humorous, but sad too.
ReplyDeleteWhat you all see to forget is that The Arizona Republic under the leadership of Zidich broke the story that exposed all of the issues with the bowl. It kinda shows me that the man has integrity does it not? What is your problem? Zidich is one of the hardest working people I know and is a class act. Save your venom for other that deserve it and not him.
ReplyDelete4/12/2011 12:46 PM
Um....The proverbial cat was already out of the bag... if the newspaper didn't break the story another media outlet would have. So which looks better.. 1) You break the story yourself and try to put up a front of some integrity (however laughable) or 2) you let another media outlet break the news which would be even worse - because then it would totally look like Zidich and company were hiding something. So don't praise the AZ Republic for breaking the story, they just chose the lesser of two evils.
My question: Why did Zidich stay on the board more than a year after his own paper reported there were spending improprieties at the bowl in the face of denials by board officials?
ReplyDeleteWhy did he effectively side with the bowl over his own reporters?
"My question: Why did Zidich stay on the board more than a year after his own paper reported there were spending improprieties at the bowl in the face of denials by board officials?
ReplyDeleteWhy did he effectively side with the bowl over his own reporters?"
Because all the facts were not known at first and if you do not limit your self to only reading facts that support your preconceived notion you would have read that he stayed on to help clean things up. The internal investigation showed no major wrong doing but once the independent investigator found our the extent of what was happening he resigned. As hard as it may be for you to believe there are some very good people in management at this company. I would continue to focus on the slime balls that accept huge raises while they bleed the rest of the company dry and leave good people like Zidich alone.
5:59, how did "he help clean things up?" I remember a quote from him saying something to that effect, but I missed what he actually did to help.
ReplyDeleteJZ is totally out of his depth as a publisher. No clue. He's an ad exec through and through. So while not evil as some would imply, his incompetence in that role, and at times willful (if naive) interference in news, is still a huge problem. His chorus of supporters share the same blind spots when it comes to running a real news operation. So it goes in Gannett.
ReplyDeleteHeh 11:33 it isn't Karen. Now search your list of folks who worked in Reno and you will figure it out.
ReplyDeleteJohn Zidich is an amazing man and obviously none of you truly know him. Get over yourselves and start acting mature. He is a very successful man and there is no need to be jealous.
ReplyDeleteJZ is totally out of his depth as a publisher. No clue. He's an ad exec through and through. So while not evil as some would imply, his incompetence in that role, and at times willful (if naive) interference in news, is still a huge problem. His chorus of supporters share the same blind spots when it comes to running a real news operation. So it goes in Gannett.
ReplyDelete4/12/2011 8:04 PM
Good summation, he really doesn't have a grasp of how to run a newspaper, he does get way to involved with advertising decisions that really should be left up to people under him, but since he doesn't really know anything else to any degree of competency, that is what he leans too. But you are right, Zidich is just yet another example of how Gannett promotes people to positions that they have no skills in being in another perfect example just look at Dubow, he was number 5 on the list of CEOs, 4 others on the outside said NO (one was Mel Karmizin), so Gannett is in a self defeating situation, they desperately need new management but none will come in so they promote more and more from inside people that know nothing. Thus the endless spiral into ultimate bankruptcy or absorption.