Virginian-Pilot downplays news about itself compared to other papers

Joyce Hoffman, the public editor of the Virginian-Pilot, writes Sunday that the paper downplayed the story about it raising prices when other papers such as the New York Times have run such stories on the front page.

Hoffman writes, “The timing of the article — six days after the new subscription rates took effect and one day before the vending box price was hiked — was partially a consequence of foot-dragging that resulted from differing opinions about the issue’s newsworthiness. While business writer Phil Walzer thought ‘a price increase for a significant local product’ warranted a story, and business editor Chris Dinsmore agreed, signals from the circulation department suggested otherwise.

“Circulation director Mark Quan acknowledged his diffidence about running a story.

“In his own experience in circulation positions at other newspapers, Quan said, ‘price increases were never announced.’ He seemed surprised to learn that newspapers like The Times do so. E-mail conversations in which Walzer and Quan debated and finally resolved these questions spanned several weeks.

“Placement of the story on page 2 in Business news was happenstance rather than an effort to ‘bury’ it, according to Dinsmore. The press of more important stories dictated the placement, he said.”

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