MediaNews Group grew from nothing to eighth-largest newspaper chain in the U.S. in about a decade, starting in the mid- to late 1980s. But it equally gained a quick reputation for being community unfriendly by laying off thousands, downsizing staff, misinforming readers as to the depth of their coverage, disrupting community traditions and engendering the derision of many leaders in the journalism profession as well as the scorn of its workers -- who have little choice but to work for such newspapers because MN essentially monopolizes entire regions by buying up competitors or merging them (though the U.S. Justice Dept. has not seen fit to pursue such practices).

While its reporters try to rise to the occasion and do their best, they are often rewarded with below-living-wage pay, poor benefits, lack of job security and disrespect. When MediaNews took over the Long Beach (Calif.) Press-Telegram in late 1997, it eliminated sick pay, vacation leaves, bereavement leave and so forth; it caused the loss of nearly 200 jobs between Christmas and Easter (timing is everything); slashed pay up to 47% but told the public the average was 4% (actually, most remaining workers were cut 30%); was hauled before the National Labor Relations Board on numerous charges (an administrative judge upheld virtually every one of them, but the publisher said only one charge was upheld); and the list goes on.

The pattern has been repeated before and after in the San Francisco/Oakland area (where it had to concede more than $3 million in cash and service for allegedly cooking its circulation figures); Yorktown, Pa. (where the NLRB forced it to re-recognize the Newspaper Guild unit there); and elsewhere. It has shuttered beloved papers in Texas (some see evidence of spite vs. economics in those cases) and has been less than forthcoming about its ties to the Los Angeles Times, which helped this "rival" buy the "rival" Los Angeles Daily News.

It also apparently knew, per owner William Dean Singleton, of the impending sale of the P-T a half year before the paper was even put on the block (such cozy relationships among execs), an admission Singleton made at the same time he indicated to the newsroom that there would be no draconian cuts -- and then did so just eight days before Christmas. Among its ongoing inaccuracies:

It cut wages and staff (and indepth coverage) at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, on the pretext that it's a small paper -- then uses reporters' and photographers' works in at least seven other regional papers, labeling them as "STAFF" but only paying them a small fraction of what their work is used for (same goes with the Daily News and its other L.A. region papers).

It said the Press-Telegram was now a "new" newspaper as a result of the sale ... but also claims in the paper that it is more than 100 years old; it all depends on whether it is trying to cut wages, show it is "rebuilding," currying public support, etc. -- in other word, whichever "truth" suits the management's convenience at the moment.

It told community leaders that The Newspaper Guild file "dozens of [unfair labor practice] charges in an effort to intimidate the company during contract negotiations [at the Press-Telegram], all but one of which were tossed out by the NLRB." On the contrary, it was the NLRB that filed seven charges against company, based on the same seven that the Guild filed -- and an administrative law judge UPHELD ALL but one of the charges. The company was ordered to rehire nearly two dozens of people and pay them back wages. Meanwhile, nearly a dozen more ULPs have been filed agains the paper.

It said there were 107 workers in the newsroom before and after the sale -- in fact, there were less than 80, and the number has decreased even further.

It is required by (hard-fought) contract to pay interns at reporter levels when they do reporter work -- and has refused to do so. The union has had to file at least 11 unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB as a result.

Besides the $3 million it had to eat to settle advertisers' allegations in the Bay Area that it inflated circulation figures, Press-Telegram workers say they have repeatedly been sent out to phantom addresses as well.

Perhaps most egregiously (besides the hundreds of lives hurt through cuts and dismissals), it failed to disclose for nearly two years to the public and the workers that the L.A. Times / Times Mirror Co. had "loaned" $50 million to MN to buy the Times' competitor Daily News, and that part of the "collateral" was that the Times could opt to buy the Daily News -- even though MN says the government wouldn't allow such a thing (then why in the agreement is there a $2.3 million purchase option?). Further, TM took a "minority interest" in MN -- but neither side would say how much. It's still not clear whether the Tribune Co., which bought out Times Mirror, is still holding a "minority interest" in MN, and if so, in what way. The federal government, including the antitrust office, meanwhile, has shown little interest in investigating why a "competitor" would become part-owner of a competing entertprise, let alone reveal the degree to which each owns.