Brian Greenspun

Mr. Adelson, it’s time to take personal responsibility for your newspaper. I haven’t much cared about what is written in Sheldon Adelson’s newest acquisition in Las Vegas — the Review-Journal — because whatever his folks write, and however outrageous, illogical and radical some of his newsroom’s efforts may be to please their billionaire owner, there is always the calm, collected, thoughtful and sane reporting and editorializing of the Las Vegas Sun to keep things in balance. As much as the R-J owners like to crow that their newspaper has the largest circulation in the state of Nevada, they forget to add that the Las Vegas Sun is exactly the same circulation.

So we at Greenspun Media and the Sun have remained content to report and comment as we see fit in order to fulfill our responsibilities as the major news organization in Nevada. We are confident, with good reason, that our editorial voice is far more helpful to the people of this state than the rantings of a newspaper enthralled by the music of the far right.

What I am trying to say is that as long as the Las Vegas Sun is in town to keep things sane, that “little paper down the street” can be as far right or as far out as it pleases.

Unfortunately for both news organizations, the R-J’s circulation continues to lose readers year over year. I suspect a large part of the exodus is driven by readers’ refusal to put up with a newspaper that is overtly dedicated to fight Sheldon’s political and business battles. And it does all this while pretending the owners have no involvement in the newspaper’s editorial focus. It has been over two years since the purchase and nobody is buying those denials.

But, that is his business and his newspaper to do with as he pleases.