Monday, May 11, 2009
40 Jealous Whores / Hannan / Media / Politics Nashville Post and Councilman Carter Todd Accused of Whoring
Posted by Caleb Hannan on Mon, May 11, 2009 at 3:07 PM
In the antiquated world of (capital lettered) Journalistic Ethics there are many hard and fast rules. Included among them: Thou shalt not appear too cozy with those whom you cover. So we thought it a little bit weird to see Carter Todd, Gaylord's general counsel and District 34 councilman, shilling for NashvillePost.com in the dead tree edition of this morning's City Paper. The ad was pretty basic: Todd in a suit, listed as "Executive VP and General Counsel" but with nary a mention of his role on council, with the Post's tagline ("People You Know In The Know...Know NashvillePost.com") running across his chest. Todd says he's played basketball with Paper publisher Albie Del Favero for 20 years and was just doing his friend a favor. He seemed to understand why the ad might look like a conflict of interest, especially considering that it was placed right next to a story about Metro councilwoman Pam Murray, but was more concerned about not scaring off readers. "I don't know how it helps using my picture," he says. "Cuz I'm probably the ugliest guy in Nashville." For his part, Chris Ferrell, CEO of the Post and Paper's parent company SouthComm, doesn't see anything wrong with the ad. "Everyone on the Metro council has day jobs," he says. "The reason we included him is because he's a business leader in the community." So for the full sphincter treatment, we consulted Sonny Rawls, journalism professor at MTSU. Rawls' resume is filled with words like "distinguished" and "Pulitzer." And if you want someone to make a somewhat convoluted whorehouse analogy, he's your man. "It's unethical," he says. "It doesn't matter how much money you charge for sex. You're playing the piano downstairs and you don't know what's happening upstairs? I don't believe it." Indeed, sir. Indeed.
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I'm not sure I'd be quoting Sonny Rawls on ethics.
SECRET RAWLS -TVA PACT FOUND
Knoxville News-Sentinel - Sunday, March 31, 1996
By RICHARD POWELSON, NEWS-SENTINEL WASHINGTON BUREAU
Page: A1
TVA awarded a $400,000 consulting contract to Wendell ``Sonny'' Rawls , a friend and former co-worker of TVA Chairman Craven Crowell, in the largest of several secret contracts The News-Sentinel has discovered so far.
Rawls and Crowell worked together at The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville roughly 20 years ago. Rawls recently did paid research for TVA on economic development in China ; Crowell recently returned from an economic development trip to China that the chairman said was aimed at seeking business opportunities for Tennessee Valley companies and TVA's power office.
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When asked to comment on the contract, Rawls said he doesn't talk about his clients. When it was pointed out that the contract was with a federal agency and he was asked again, he responded: "What part of what I've said to you don't you understand?"
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Is there something controversial about Todd the Post should be covering that it's not? If so, shouldn't you be covering it, too? 'Cause this is the first pith post with the "Carter Todd" tag.
Otherwise, yawn.
