The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s persistent reporting was the main reason that the Harrah’s remodeling scandal wasn’t successfully covered up by dishonest Harrah’s and dishonest Clark County employees. A Harrah’s executive soon faces arraignment on 17 criminal charges as a result of Harrah’s wrongdoing. The investigation continues. I hope there will be some criminal charges against some county employees, too. Now this, from today’s Review-Journal:
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If you’re reading this column, you’re probably not a guest at one of Harrah’s eight Strip casinos. The company has removed and no longer makes the Review-Journal available to its hotel guests.
The move follows several months of investigative articles by the Review-Journal that uncovered potentially illegal construction procedures by the casino company.
The newspaper was selling roughly 600 copies per day at gift shops inside the Harrah’s properties.
Harrah’s spokesman Gary Thompson, however, said the company undertook the move as a cost-cutting exercise.
“I know Harrah’s executives have been concerned with the coverage, but they’ve rarely complained,” Review-Journal Publisher Sherman Frederick said. ” I take them at their word that this is only a business decision, and because of that I am sure we will win their business back. Las Vegas visitors are interested in Las Vegas, and no one covers Las Vegas better and more completely than the Review-Journal.”
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Clearly, Mr. Frederick is being polite and cautious. Does anyone believe Mr. Thompson’s contention that this is “a cost-cutting exercise”? How could NOT selling newspapers in the gift shops cut costs? If Harrah’s was selling 600 papers daily, why refuse to sell it now? I believe newspaper publishers issue credit to vendors for unsold papers, so “cost cutting” doesn’t pass the smell test.
Could it be petty spitefulness by Harrah’s?
