PressEthic

The building of casinos has always been a hot debate for communities in states all across the country. Some welcome the tax revenue and new jobs that come along with the mammoth operations, while others view the very presence of a casino as a degradation to the quality of life in the surrounding area.

Up until recently, the citizens of Providence, Rhode Island could depend on the editorial pages of their newspaper, The Providence Journal, to support a critical and oppositional view a proposed Harrah’s Entertainment-Narragansett Indian casino in West Warwick, Rhode Island.

But according to Ian Donnis of The Phoenix readers were surprised on October 22, when the Sunday edition of the paper ran with an editorial strongly supporting the building of the casino.

Donnis reported:

“In advocating for the casino — to be decided by voters, through Question 1, on the November 7 ballot — the unsigned editorial cited the jobs and revenue that could be created by the envisioned West Warwick establishment, and how ‘the project would return to the economy of Rhode Island hundreds of millions a year’ in money going to the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos in Connecticut.

Although this message dovetails with proponents’ arguments, it represents a remarkable switch for the Journal, which for years has staunchly opposed the establishment of a destination casino in Rhode Island.”

Though the fate of the casino ultimately rests in the hands of voters despite the influence of the newspaper, some feel that the abrupt changes need explanation, while other were more critical in the shift of support.

Donnis also reported:

“Yet WPRO-AM talk-show host Dan Yorke, seemingly the lone local media entity to focus meaningful attention on the editorial switch, was right to call out the lack of necessary context in the editorial. He notes how the ProJo’s corporate owner, the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, owns television stations or newspapers in a number of Harrah’s markets.”

I’ve always been suspicious of the opinions expressed in the editorial pages of any newspaper, mostly because they run sans byline, though I guess that’s out of necessity to protect the political reputation of the writer.

I also would argue that a paper has the responsibly to voice the opinions from both sides of a debate, and in that case, don’t see too much harm in taking a swing in supporting the casino. But, the editorial also has a responsibility to disclose the fact that their corporate owners might have a reason to support the building of a Harrah-owned casino. Leaving out that critical bit of information will hurt the editorial staffs credibility more than a simple shift in opinion