The KCStar biz desk and questions about covering a local auto dealer

David Martin of The Pitch, an alternative weekly in Kansas City, writes about whether the Kansas City Star’s business section gave favorable coverage to a local auto dealer — a major advertiser — who lost a lawsuit for selling a bad car.

Martin writes, “Last week, I left a voice mail for Keith Chrostowski, the editor of the business section, and sent an e-mail to Heaster. Steve Rosen, an assistant editor, responded on behalf of both. Rosen edited the story. He also spoke with Brown after its publication.

“‘The one thing to point out we were just trying to get a daily story in on deadline,’ Rosen tells me. ‘As far as doing anything more exhaustive on the history of Blue Springs Ford, there just wasn’t time to do that.’

“Rosen says the story was balanced. ‘As you know, rulings like this often have a tendency to be appealed, and the damages are often cut way back, and we’ll write about that as well, when there is another ruling.’

“I get that — and I’ll remember to watch for when the Star covers the ruling on any appeal.”

Read more here.