Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Questions Freedom Forum declined to answer

I e-mailed the following questions to Freedom Forum spokesman Mike Fetters on Dec. 8. To date, I haven't heard back from the foundation since it acknowledged receipt of my note.

1. When was Jan Neuharth elected chair of Freedom Forum's board of trustees?

2. When was Peter Prichard elected chair of the Newseum's board of trustees?

3. The Newseum's Form 990 shows that Peter Prichard was paid a bonus of $206,329 in 2010, plus $126,244 for expenses.

Why was he paid these amounts?

Were these payments for his work in the executive search that led to James Duff's hiring?

4. How much did Freedom Forum pay the Isaacson, Miller firm of Boston for its executive search work?

5. Freedom Forum's 990 shows Ken Paulson got paid a combined $540,543 in 2010 as president/COO/trustee. Did that also cover his work as CEO of the First Amendment Center from Aug. 11 through the end of 2010?

6. Has the Finance Department found the filing dates for the foundation and Newseum 990s?

Thanking you in advance,

Jim

9 comments:

  1. Seriously take step back for a moment. You run a rumor mill that specializes in assinating the character of most Gannett executives. Why would a credible organization ever answer you. That would be Luke Harvey Levin at TMZ bring pissed because President Obama didn't return his email. Your blog is very amusing but it's not unbiased journalism. Let's keep it real.

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  2. So much for freedom of information at the Freedom Forum!

    They should change the name to Freedom ForUS!

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  3. Ok, lets keep it real. Why are these people making so much money? The newseum is cutting back and ithe foundation kicks back $200,000 bonuses. For WHAT?

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  4. Jim did you ask, "Isaacson, Miller firm" how much they were paid by the Freedom Forum?

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  6. 9:54 why don't you revealed your name from the impression you give, that you are with the Freedom Forum?

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  7. 9:54 stop making stupid excuses for unnecessary expenses. Really! Presentation materials, airfare, dinners, hotel expenses. Those expenses are reimbursed every 30 days. This so-called Bonus is just another good old boys pay off. Most headhunters fly candidates in for interview's, not the other way around. Just pure waste. This organization is a joke.

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  8. Jim,

    This Freedom Forum stuff has nothing to do with Gannett today.

    Al made a specific decision to sell all of the Gannett stock held by the Gannett Foundation to create the Freedom Forum. He hired all of the Gannett castoffs and his buddies when he made the move. There is plenty of public reporting on the rift between Al and Gannett (esp John Curley) when this all happened in the early 1990s.

    Why you continue to post this crap about the Newseum and Freedom Forum is hard to understand. The only thing they have in common with Gannett are some (re)tired, washed-up Gannett executives. Peanut Overby was never that great when he was AT Gannett. Al is cashing in there as he always has done - NOT NEWS. Peter Prichard hasn't done a thing since writing McPaper.

    MOVE ON JIM. Focus on the real issue: Gannett today.

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  9. Jim,

    If you really want to dig in to something that any current Gannett employee should be angry about, why not dig further into the Al Neuharth deal. Word in the CP is that Al has employees at his house in Florida on the Gannett payroll. Why not ask Al how he sleeps on that, if true, when journalists are getting laid off across Gannett?

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Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

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