Monday, November 27, 2017

Koch brothers’ ‘passive’ role in Time Inc. takeover met with skepticism


Michael Calderone and Jason Schwartz, Politico

Image from article, with caption: "Reports of the Koch brothers role in the deal, or lack thereof, have been met with skepticism from journalists, media watchers and Koch chroniclers. David Koch speaks at the 2015 Defending the American Dream summit hosted by Americans for Prosperity."

'They’re always looking to exert influence in one way or another,' says Koch biographer after the conservative billionaires backed Meredith’s takeover of the magazine giant.

Excerpt:
Some Time veterans are also wary of the billionaires’ motivations being purely business related.
“The deal raises concerns if the Koch brothers intend to use Time as a vehicle for their ideological views from behind the scenes,” said Richard Stengel, a former top Time editor and undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs during the Obama administration. "It would be naive to think that just because the Koch brothers don't have a seat on the board that they wouldn't wield some kind of editorial influence.” ...

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