TRANSCRIPT:
After the break, the crusading columnist. George Gombossy says “The Hartford Courant” spiked his story and sent him packing to protect a major advertiser. But do his allegations hold up? That’s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KURTZ: George Gombossy worked for “The Hartford Courant” for 40 years. That is, until Connecticut’s largest paper eliminated his job earlier this month and refused to run his story about an investigation of a major advertiser.
The consumer columnist said the state attorney general was looking into complaints that the bedding firm Sleepy’s was selling used mattresses as new, in one case allegedly infested with bedbugs. Gombossy says he was dismissed after a series of clashes with the paper’s new publisher, Richard Graziano, over his reporting on companies that buy ads. The Courant, which eventually ran a truncated version of the Sleepy’s story, said Gombossy’s job was eliminated and he never applied for a new position as consumer reporter for the paper and its television station, WTIC.
And joining me now from Hartford is George Gombossy.
What makes you so convinced that “The Hartford Courant” here was protecting advertisers?
GEORGE GOMBOSSY, SPENT 40 YEARS WITH “THE HARTFORD COURANT”: Well, because during my 40-year career at “The Hartford Courant,” I have handled some of the most sensitive stories, both as part of senior management and as an investigative reporter, and never, ever was there any conversation about whether a story should run or not run because it involved an advertiser.
(CROSSTALK)
GOMBOSSY: Let me just finish.
KURTZ: Go ahead, please.
GOMBOSSY: And up until the first time an advertiser complaint, these people loved me. They had my billboards all over Hartford, scaring little children, they had my picture on every single bus in Hartford. They were running ads on this TV station, the one that I’m coming in right now, which is our sister station, and on the radio, so often that people were turning it off because they were sick and tired of listening to the…
(CROSSTALK)
KURTZ: All right, you’re a high-profile guy. I’ve got to jump in.
Now, The Courant is part of The Tribune company chain, which is bankrupt and has cut about half its staff, nearly half its staff in recent years.
Richard Graziano comes in as the new publisher. In May, you did a critical piece, an earlier piece, about a plumbing contractor and you had some words with him. What happened?
GOMBOSSY: I didn’t have any words with him about that. I did several pieces on the plumbing contractor, which is also under investigation by state officials.
The plumbing contractor sent a letter to management, and as a result of that letter, I was called in to Jeff Levine, the editor of both this station and The Courant, and I was ordered by him to “go to the plumbing contractor’s office and be nice.” That’s a quote. Be nice to them, because there’s a $500,000 advertising contract on the line.
KURTZ: And who said to you, “Do you want it on your head if we lose $200,000 and I have to lay off some reporters?”
GOMBOSSY: Jeff Levine did.
KURTZ: Senior vice president.
GOMBOSSY: In front of a witness, not just me.
KURTZ: All right. Let me tell our viewers that we invited “The Hartford Courant” to have somebody appear with you on this program. The paper declined, but did give us this statement: “In recent days, George Gombossy has made numerous public statements that mischaracterize the circumstances surrounding his departure from ‘The Hartford Courant.’ He has launched an all-out media campaign against the paper and his former colleagues. The Courant stands by the business decisions that led to Mr. Gombossy’s separation from the company. The Courant and Fox 62 remain committed to and expanding consumer reporting in the future.”
What about this business that the job was eliminated and you were supposed to reapply and you didn’t reapply?
GOMBOSSY: I mean, that has nothing to do with nothing. The reality is, like I said, they spent $500,000 marketing me and the watchdog column. The last thing they wanted, this new management team, was an investigation of their advertisers. So, I mean, that’s bunk.
And Levine and Graziano and Nadine Hazel (ph) have refused to come on every single radio program. And if their lawyers are so sure that I’m mischaracterizing something, don’t you think they’d be here defending themselves?
This is a huge issue. This is not about George Gombossy or the Fox 61 reporter who’s out making similar allegations, even stronger… (CROSSTALK)
KURTZ: OK. Let’s stick with your case.
Did you refuse — they did run — the paper did run a truncated version of the Sleepy’ story. Did you refuse to rewrite that?
GOMBOSSY: No, they didn’t ask me to rewrite it.
KURTZ: No one asked you to rewrite it.
GOMBOSSY: My column was approved by my editor, and after they didn’t run it, the next day I was fired.
KURTZ: You know, going back to this statement from the paper — and I’ve looked at your Web site, and you were getting into some very personal criticism of Graziano and some of the other executives. And some of even your colleagues are saying, is this guy on some kind of jihad? Aren’t you helping to tear down the very journalistic institution that you devoted 40 years of your life to building up?
GOMBOSSY: I’m glad you asked that question. First, I don’t know a single colleague of mine that’s asking that.
The reason I’m doing this and the reason that I’m not accepting a huge settlement, severance which would put a gag order on me and which would prevent me from litigation, is because I want The Courant to return and Fox 61 to return to the high ethical standards that it used to have up until about six months ago.
And let me tell you, this is not just happening in Hartford, where “The Hartford Courant” and Fox 61, as a joint news operation, has a virtual monopoly. I’m not a rocket scientist, I’m not the best journalist in the world, but one of my principles has always been, and it’s very successful, if there’s one issue one place, then there’s tons of cockroaches all over the place. And if these guys…
KURTZ: All right. We’re just about out of time. I’ve got 15 seconds.
Are you planning to sue “The Hartford Courant” over your dismissal?
GOMBOSSY: Absolutely. And it’s not me. The people of Connecticut are going to be the prime plaintiffs.
KURTZ: All right.
George Gombossy, we appreciate your coming on this morning. Thanks very much.
GOMBOSSY: My pleasure. Thank you.
Where did you do the live shot from?
Where else, FOX 61 where CNN does all its live shots of newsmakers in central Ct.
The Dog
Sorry I missed it! Have a link to the interview?
It is truly unfortunate that the Hartford Courant has fired Mr. Gombossy. His excellent reporting of unethical actions taken by large business corporation that severely affected individual consumers and small business owners, helped them get satisfactory resolutions of their concerns. In particular, his investigations of the Propane Industry, and especially Amerigas Corp., has caused the Ct. Dept. of Consumer Protection to take action to address the many complaints received about propane service and billing problems. I for one no longer trust the Hartford Courant in their responsibility to serve their readership and their community on consumer issues.