The High Price of Speaking Up
Some people just can’t take criticism, and we can put Puerto Rico’s Gov. Pedro Rosello down as one of them. Upset with El Nuevo Dia’s critical review of the first 100 days of his second term, the governor hit the island’s largest and oldest newspaper where it hurts--in the cash register.
The day after the report was published, 17 government agencies canceled their advertising, a loss of $500,000 monthly for the newspaper. Next came an unwarranted tax audit. And, finally, the government canceled permits for some large construction projects involving a cement company owned by the family that runs El Nuevo Dia.
Gov. Rosello denies any wrongdoing concerning the ads, saying the government canceled them because the rates were not competitive.
The American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Inter American Press Assn. and the Society of Professional Journalists have protested what they call the governor’s intimidation campaign and have asked him to stop harassing the paper.
Meanwhile, the owners of El Nuevo Dia have filed suit in federal district court charging the governor and seven of his subordinates with violating the daily’s right to free expression.
Ease up, governor. If you play it straight you could get better marks in your next review.
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