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| The challenge when we are part of the story
Letter from the Editor We end up with quandaries in our newsroom from time to time on how to cover stories in which we have a direct interest or could be perceived to have such an interest.
The recent announcement by some non-profit agencies that they plan to create another news outlet in Cleveland, one with ambitious goals, is one example. This could be a solid news expansion, but, as with any media entity these days, it faces enormous challenges. If we wrote a fully developed story that included an examination of those challenges, people likely would perceive us as being critical of a potential competitor. We don’t see the proposed newsroom as a competitor, but we don’t want to be perceived as bullies. Ultimately, we think this is the rare story we should leave to others to tell. Too many people might question our credibility in trying to tell it.
A more nagging example is Cleveland’s new police headquarters. As of today, the city plans to build the headquarters on Opportunity Corridor. Mayor Frank Jackson chose the site after a long search, believing that the police presence there would make the corridor safe, potentially attracting more interest in developing it.
At $257 million for 3 miles of pavement, Opportunity Corridor is the most expensive chunk of road in the city’s history. It connects Interstate 490 to University Circle, and a top goal of building it was developing a languishing section of the city.
Developers did not beat down the door while the road was under construction, though, which brought the police headquarters into the equation. Whether the city needs the police presence to develop the road is not clear. Anyone driving the now-open stretch can see the potential. Development seems a certainty. All those commuters heading to the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals or Case Western Reserve University would frequent commercial establishments built there.
Before the city settled on Opportunity Corridor for the headquarters, it had chosen the building where I have worked for most of the past 20 years, at 1801 Superior Ave. The Plain Dealer occupied the block for decades and in 2001 opened a spectacular building as our new home. We filled all four floors of it then, but this was before media economics fell apart, leading to big staff cuts.
The building has been on the market for years now, and when the city envisioned it as a police headquarters, we were impressed. It’s in an ideal location with ample parking. It has a big meeting room for the community. The cost of converting it was reasonable. It seemed an ideal fit.
The deal ultimately fell apart for myriad reasons, and the city moved on, eventually choosing Opportunity Corridor.
Here’s our quandary: If we did not have the big-time conflict of interest with the building, we’d likely be writing stories analyzing whether the incoming administration of Justin Bibb should take another look, to determine whether 1801 Superior is the preferable choice to a site on the outskirts of town.
We’d look at how many millions of dollars it might save, and whether it would better serve the public. Where to build this headquarters is a decision with decades-long ramifications, and the city gets to do it just once. This is the kind of decision we normally bore into and examine from all angles, as we are doing with the proposed new jail and justice center. I also suspect our Editorial Board would advocate for a deeper look, if we had no interest in the building.
But, we do have an interest. Anything we say on the topic is compromised. If we did the analysis and found that the Superior Avenue site is the better one, people would promptly question the credibility of the analysis because of our interest.
So, it’s another story we are not covering, another editorial we feel we can’t write.
And yes, I know there’s a conflict in even writing about the topic in this column. By doing so, I raise the issue without reporters or the Editorial Board weighing in on it. I’m sure I’ll get some criticism for that, but a chief purpose of this column is transparency. I try to give you insight into debates that take place here. This is one such debate.
We are and long have been this region’s chief watchdog. It’s our privilege to be trusted by you with that role, and we vigorously pursue it. The police headquarters location is an issue that needs a watchdog, especially with the arrival of a new administration. I think you should know why we are not putting it on our plate.
Thanks for reading,
Chris Quinn Editor and Vice President of Content
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