Journalists in name only

COMMENT

Reporters appear to be unfazed
by management's lack of integrity

By David Baker
Posted Friday Feb. 6, 2015.
273 words

Brendan Lyons works for the Albany Times Union.  He evidently considers himself a journalist – his Twitter name includes the word ''writer" - but he seems untroubled by his employer’s total lack of journalist integrity.

As is documented on this blog, over the past 15 years the Times Union has routinely ignored dozens of lawsuits filed against the area’s hospitals – while running a continuous stream of advertising for them. 

And its not the paper doesn’t publish details of claims. It does.  Just today there is a story about a lawsuit alleging harassment.  It alleges an employee was subjected to a bizarre sexual hazing ritual.

It names the Capital Transportation Authority and others.  It was written by Lyons.

But there’s another lawsuit making its way through the courts that also alleges harassment.  In it, Patricia Cocozzo alleges numerous violations of New York’s Human Rights Law, including sexual harassment, age discrimination and disability discrimination. Cocozzo also complains of a hostile work environment, constructive dismissal, and retaliation for complaining about the alleged harassment. She claims a co-worker at Samaritan Hospital showed her a video of him having sex with another woman.

Sounds like a strong story, every bit as worthy of coverage in the Times Union as the one against the CDTA. 

But it has never been mentioned. A look at the name of the defendants explains why: They are Northeast Health, and its governing body,  St. Peter’s Health Partners – big TU advertisers and where the paper’s publisher has a seat on the board.

And it’s not that Lyons was unaware of the Cocozzo case; a copy of the complaint was emailed to him back in mid December. He never acknowledged it. Why would he? Like apparently all the reporters at the area’s papers, he evidently has no problem with a management that has totally abandoned its duty to inform the public, and is as every bit corrupt as the people it lectures to about ethics, accountability, honesty and trust.

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Spot the difference

The TU story on the CDTA lawsuit is HERE

The exclusive story on this blog on the Cocozzo lawsuit is HERE

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