Here's how we get our news now: find a rich guy, offer to not write lies about him for a price and then write good things about him if he gives up the dirt on his friends. At least that's what New York Post gossip peddlar Jared Paul Stern believes.
"The federal probe unearthed evidence alleging that gossip peddler Jared Paul Stern solicited $220,000 from a man the Post had dubbed a "party-boy billionaire" in exchange for immunity from negative items, the paper confirmed yesterday. And in a "Sopranos"-like twist, Stern likened the protection he was offering to a "Mafia" racket.
"That the seamy story about Rupert Murdoch's New York Post was cracked open by Mort Zuckerman's Daily News, which competes with the Post for straphanger readers as well as celebrity news, merely added to the mounting Manhattan buzz. If the allegations are true, Post Editor in Chief Col Allan said in a statement, "Mr. Stern's conduct would be morally and journalistically reprehensible, a gross abuse of privilege, and in violation of the New York Post's standards and ethics."
"The rival paper was shocked -- and loving every second of it."
Stern targeted Beverly Hills supermarket owner Ron Burkle. In an interesting twist, Burkle's investment firm, the Yucaipa Cos., it trying to purchase 12 newspapers that were recently bought by the McClatchy chain from Knight Ridder.
What started all of this rolling was an e-mail sent by Stern to one of Burkle's staff, Kevin Marchetti saying, "I understand Ron is upset about the press he is getting. If he's really concerned he needs a strategy for dealing with it and regulating it. It's not easy to accomplish, but he certainly has the means to do so."
Stern was caught on tape telling Burkle that for a price he could get protection from the negative stuff being talked about himself and his friends and added: "It's a little like the Mafia. A friend of mine is a friend of yours."
Stern continued with offering numerous levels of protection. The first one, according to Stern, would have Burkle revealing gossip about his celebrity friends, and in return not being written about.
The prosecutor said that Stern was "asking for $100,000 up front to not print bad articles and to print good items, and for $10,000 a month after the initial down payment."
It makes you wonder if this is going on industry-wide. Where did Stern get this idea from? Are some of his buddies involved in the same illegal tactics? I hope this guy really gets what's coming to him.
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