Update II: PD Managing Editor Thom Fladung appeared on the Kiley and Booms show on 92.3 The Fan this morning. He commented on the Plain Dealer’s decision to move Tony Grossi off the beat.
“He was not disciplined, but he’s not covering the Browns,” Mr. Fladung said. “That tweet, from a Browns beat reporter, we felt and I felt very strongly, was inappropriate and unprofessional. It’s not what a journalist covering a beat can express.
“What he tweeted was not an opinion, it was an insult. Tony was a very good beat writer, very successful, but there are lines. He crossed it.”
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Update: For those saying that Randy Lerner called for Tony Grossi to be moved off the beat, here’s an update. Sources tell Scene that, “Randy Lerner and the Browns had zero to do with it. The Plain Dealer acted independently.” They never asked the Browns’ opinion. They acted internally.
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Multiple sources tell Scene Tony Grossi is no longer the Browns beat writer for the Plain Dealer as of today.
Last week, Grossi accidentally tweeted the following about Randy Lerner: “He is a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world.” He has lost his post as a result of that.
He was in hot water with his editors and bosses at the PD over the inadvertent tweet, which displayed a huge bias — hatred even — toward the Browns’ owner.
There was an obvious question whether he could objectively continue to cover the beat, the answer to which came when the Plain Dealer weighed in today with the move.
Managing Editor Thomas Fladung had no comment when reached by Scene.
We’ve emailed Tony Grossi for comment as well.
This article appears in Jan 25-31, 2012.
Old Al Lerner was as much responsible for the Browns being stolen as was Art Modell.
Al Lerner was a big contributor to Beast/Cheney 2004. Hard to like them
Epic Fail.
How do you “accidentally” tweet?
Guy gets fired over telling the truth. Outrageous! The Plain Dealer should be ashamed.
Tony Grossi made a mistake and he apologized. It’s not a crime for reporters to have opinions. Tony inadvertantly broadcast his on Twitter. He is perhaps guilty of a social media fumble, but not of lapsed ethical judgment. His brothers and sisters of the Northeast Ohio Newspaper Guild stand behind him.
Harlan Spector
PD chair, Newspaper Guild
I heard that the owners of the Dispatch would determine Tony’s fate in the newspaper industry. Did the governor have an opinion? Or what about the owner of the underwear business down there? Or maybe Tony wants to cover OSU sports. His options are open so long as he leans right in the state of Ohio.
The Plain Dealer sucks
Grossi’s attack was a personal attack. It was unwarranted. People ofter say stuff under the animosity of the web that they wouldn’t say in person for fear of getting their ass kicked.
Let me restate it in more civilized form:
Al Davis burned for Football.
Paul Brown burned for Football
Art Rooney Sr. burned for Football.
Art Model burned for Football.
Al Lerner not so much – two words – Manchester United
In Model’s case, so much so that he’s rather move his team, taking financial incentives thus allowing him to continue being an owner. His other option was to sell the team to an owner with deep pockets (Learner).
No surprise here.
When you insult the bourgeois, be prepared to pay with your job!
There really is no free speach anymore!
All I have to say is if I said what he said about a client of mine and my bosses found out, as well as the client, I would be taken off the account and possibly fired. Isn’t that what the PD did here…they took Grossi off the Browns account, nothing more nothing less.
Always more, always less Alexis. We are all being influenced with the rise of the socialo media. Some good, some not so good things are happening as the evolution of this exciting new arrival revolutionizes communication. I study the psychological impact and I can not believe my data in that our minds are being changed daily; our thought processed is changing daily; our laws and the interpretation of our laws are rapidly changing. Dylan was right about the times a changin but I never would have believed that change of human minds and thinking parameters and cultural norms could become so excellerated as they are in today’s media. ‘Those who are first will later be last.’
Kenny, try studying professional ethics instead. Grossi was a beat reporter for the Browns. As a beat reporter, you report facts, news, trade rumors, ownership changes, player updates, game analysis — pretty much everything related to the team. And you remain impartial while you do it.
You do not: inject opinion in your articles, reflect any kind of bias in your writing, or call the owner of the team pathetic and irrelevant.
This has nothing to do with free speech or the advent of social media. He ruined his chance to impartially cover a topic when he said what he said about Lerner, period, end of story. That’s all this has to do with is professional ethics and journalistic integrity, and Grossi ain’t got much of either right now.
I’ve been wondering when Grossi would get booted. I moved to the Cleveland area in ’92 and started reading the PD sports soon after. Since I lived the poor performances of the Packers through the 70s and 80s, I had first hand experience of how the Browns fans felt. However, at some point, a beat reporter should use his access to the team to create a positive outlook and hope for the future of the team. I believe, with Holmgren and Heckert in place, the attitude and performance will change. In the mean time, the fans of Cleveland deserve better reporting than what they might see in a Pittsburgh newspaper. The true colors of a man show when the going gets tough. Good luck and good riddance.
I buy that Lerner had nothing to do with this, but not Holmgren. Holmgren sees any type of negative media about the Browns as a personal attack. Holmgren says he understands the frustration of Browns fans. But if he understood, then he would also understand the negative press about a crap football team.
All that being said, Grossi’s articles had become more-opinion and less-fact each week. He needs a fresh start and the PD needs a fresh face. They’d be smart to hire Nate Ulrich away from the Akron Beacon Journal.
Could care less about Tony always thought he was a condesending POS…..
The senior folks at the PD are a joke…..they pulled the same act on the Cleveland Orchestra guy…
Follow the money…….Browns and Orchestra pay $$$$$ for ads…….hence removal of thorne in paw….
The religious writer is an anti catholic but remains…..why? Two reason…..senior mgmt is anti catholic and the church rarely buys ads…….
Another example is Connie Schultz Brown, let her campaign for her husband for years……
Another example Mr Eggars had to come forward about his deal from Frank Russo…….three years later…no reason to rock the boat…..keep endorsing Russo and Jimmy….
Give Ted a break…..he is just trying to get to retirement….
HYPOCRITE is the PD style
I thought we lived in the USA not the Soviet Union…my mistake.