Brian Timpone

Brian Timpone is a Chicago-based entrepreneur who has founded several media companies. He is known for disrupting newspaper business models with controversial methods including outsourcing jobs to the Philippines. He was caught in an embarrassing scandal involving using fake bylines, a story that earned a full episode on NPR's This American Life.

Early career

At one point, Timpone was a television reporter.[1]

Timpone worked for Illinois state representative Lee Daniels (R-Elmhurst) in 1997.[2] Years later, Lee Daniels' chief of staff was sentenced to federal prison.[3]

Timpone's news production business model

Former Journatic writer and editor Ryan Smith told NPR, "It [Journatic's news stories] is sort of a tattered product that is written overseas, half-heartedly edited, and just kind of slopped on the page."[4]

Pretending

In 2012, a former Journatic writer told National Public Radio's This American Life about a story he had to write involving a student of the month at a high school in Houston Texas. He called the school and reached the principal. "He's [the principal] assuming that I'm a reporter in Houston for the Houston Chronicle. . . I just pretended like I was from the Chronicle."[5] In the program, producer Sarah Koenig narrated: "Embedded in major newspapers all over the country are local notes and stories written by people who might not even know how to pronounce the names of the places they're writing about." [6] Through it all, covering up Journatic’s involvement in the news they are producing is stressed, said the Journatic employee who contacted Poynter. “We’ve been told time and time again to protect the Journatic identity.” When calling on a story, employees must say they’re calling on behalf of the newspaper Journatic works for and even acquire a temporary phone number with a local area code. “We are basically lying to our sources,” he said.[7]

No job interviews for journalists

Ryan Smith, a former reporter for Journatic, was never interviewed for his job and had never spoken to his supervisor. He told NPR that he wasn't entirely sure how to pronounce Journatic.[8]

Fake name button

Journatic's internal computer system for managing news stories had a button labeled "Select Alias." The button allowed writers in the Philippines to choose American names to publish their stories under. Options included false names such as Ginny Cox or Glenda Smith.[9]

Assembly-line production

Journatic's technique is akin to an "assembly line", as NPR's Sarah Koenig described it. Individual workers are assigned a single task for a number of stories, such as doing only research, drafting stories, or editing stories.[10] Journatic's computers use algorithms to write some of the content.[11]

Outsourcing labor for 35 cents per hour

Journatic used cheap freelance writers in the Philippines to write stories for newspapers.[12] According to Philippino writers for Journatic, the workers are paid 35-40 cents per story.[13] In the This American Life interview, Timpone told Koenig that workers in the Philippines were not writing stories. Timpone did not give Koenig contact information for any of the Philippine workers, but she located a few of them and called them. One of the workers confirmed to Koenig that he indeed writes stories.[14]

Revenge

Journatic's head of editorial, Mike Fourcher, resigned from Journatic in 2012. According to Columbia Journalism Review, "Hours after Fourcher’s resignation, a spokesperson for Journatic said the company was planning to fire him anyway."[15]

Personality

According to Columbia Journalism Review: "When the Chicago Sun-Times sent reporters down to Journatic CEO Brian Timpone’s house to discover why there was more fakery than he initially admitted, they found him outside, leaning into a friend’s Maserati. “Don’t you know your CEO is an investor with us?” Timpone asked a reporter, before declining an interview."[16]

According to NPR's Sarah Koenig, "When I first started talking to [Timpone] on the phone, he began talking a mile a minute. . . . Needless to say, I liked him right away."[17] One blogger, the writer of Claire St. Amant, characterized Timpone's interaction with NPR reporter Sarah Koenig as "in full school-yard bully mode."[18]

Delusions of grandeur

Timpone is quoted in a Chicago Reader article as saying, "We are a pro-journalism, pro-content, pro-local, pro-original company. There's no company like us."[19] According to NPR, in 2012, Timpone had planned to quadruple Journatic's output within a timeline of a few months. His vision was to produce 100,000 stories per week for client newspapers.[20] When Timpone was interviewed on the This American Life episode, he said, "I personally think we're saving journalism. . . . We're doing God's work."[21]

Jones Day lawsuit

In 2008, Blockshopper published home purchases of two attorneys who worked at a law firm called Jones Day.[22] Jones Day is an international law firm with offices in 19 countries.[23] The firm sued Blockshopper in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, for federal trademark infringement.[24] The lawsuit alleged that Blockshopper's use of hyperlinks pointing to the attorneys' bios on the law firm's website infringed on the firm's trademark.[25]

Jones Day and Timpone settled out of court. According to Forbes, Timpone had to pay $100,000 in attorney's fees. [26]

The American Bar Association's main legal publication, ABA Journal, wrote a story about the Jones Day lawsuit. In the story, ABA Journal wrote: "Although Jones Day offered early on to settle the case for $10,000, “We of course said no,” Timpone tells the ABA Journal. BlockShopper went on instead to rack up a legal bill of $110,000 defending itself in litigation that a number of observers criticized as lacking a legitimate basis."[27]

Fake byline scandal

University of Oregon's Poynter.org found that "Outsourcing company Journatic used previously undisclosed fake bylines on more than 350 stories published on behalf of the Houston Chronicle."[28] "Poynter has identified hundreds of previously undisclosed cases of news stories that Journatic published on Houston Chronicle-owned “Ultimate” hyperlocal websites using a fictional byline, “Chad King.” . . . These stories attributed to “Chad King” include all kinds of local news produced by Journatic, such as high school sports, school closings, crime stories and election results."[29]

In a real estate story for the Chicago Tribune's TribLocal, for example, the writer's name was listed as Ginny Cox. The real writer's name was Gizelle Bantista, a Journatic employee.[30]

Other fake names that were used for real estate stories included Carrie Reed, Amy Anderson, Jay Brownstone, Sam Andrews, Cienna Andrews, C.J. Marx, Scott Johnson, Jimmy Finkle. Christine Scott, Carla andrews, Dena Andrews, John Simon, and Jimmy Finkle.[31]

According to an article on Streetfightmag.com, Timpone denied the use of these names in bylines.[32]

By 2012, the Sun-Times and Gatehouse Media ended their business with Timpone.[33]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce issues

Timpone launched a legal journal called the Madison County Record. The journal was paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.[34] Timpone is the founding publisher of the news service website LegalNewsline.com, another newspaper paid for by the Chamber.[35]

Southeast Texas Record controversy

Among the U.S. Chamber-funded newspapers Timpone runs is the Southeast Texas Record. In 2007, plaintiff's attorneys alleged that the newspaper was a 'dubious attempt to influence jurors," citing that the paper covered lawsuits heard in front of the courthouse, which was the only location the paper was distributed at.[36]

Hiding newspaper ownership

A 2006 article in the Washington Post criticized the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for not reporting that it owned the Madison County Record, a weekly newspaper in Illinois. Concerning the U.S. Chamber's ownership of the newspaper, Washington Post reporter Jeffrey Bimbaum wrote, "The chamber is one of a growing number of advocacy groups that blur the distinction between legitimate media and propaganda to promote their causes."[37] As of 2006, the Madison County Record had a circulation of around 6,000. At that time, the U.S. Chamber had paid $200,000 to Timpone to publish the newspaper.[38] "Neither Anderson [the chief legal officer for the U.S. Chamber] nor Timpone see any need for the paper to disclose in its pages that the chamber is an owner."[39]

BP oil spill of 2010

A few weeks before the BP oil spill in 2010, Timpone launched the Louisiana Record, a newspaper covering lawsuits in Louisiana.[40] The U.S. Chamber funds the Louisiana Record as well as other newspapers that Timpone publishes on the chamber's behalf.[41]

Blockshopper

Timpone started Blockshopper, which is a real estate website.[42] According to an article in Forbes magazine in 2010, real estate stories published on Blockshopper were printed in approximately 50 newspapers. Those newspapers included the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, and Chicago Sun-Times.[43]

Some people whose home purchases have been listed on Blockshopper are angry at Timpone.[44] An Oakland, California-based real estate developer named Matt Dunlap is quoted in a Forbes article saying, "I can feel my blood start to boil when I talk about it."[45]

Somebody started a blog that ranted against Timpone and Blockshopper. The blog published Timpone's home address and picture and encouraged people to "punch this asshole in the face."[46]

In 2010, Forbes wrote that Timpone planned to expand the concept of Blockshopper to publish stories about people's parking tickets, divorces and bankruptcies. The article ended with the quote: "That ought to keep his enemy list growing nicely."[47]

A critic of Blockshopper wrote on a Blockshopper oomplaint blog, "I, too, am horrified to learn that not only have they advertised my property, but also list our full names along with an aerial photo of the exact location of our property. This is a clear danger of not just identity theft, but to our physical health and well-being." In an article in the Chicago Reader, Timpone said about the comment: “If people are promoting themselves on the Web, they’ll be on BlockShopper. If you don’t want to be on BlockShopper, don’t promote yourself on the Web."[48]

ConsumerAffairs.com lists nearly 200 complaints against Blockshopper.[49]

Deals with the Chicago Tribune

In April 2012, the Chicago Tribune hired Timpone's company Journatic to write all stories for TribLocal.[50] TribLocal is a component of the Chicago Tribune that is available online and in print. It covers local news among 78 communities in the Chicago area.[51]

One of the Chicago Tribune editors referred to the Journatic-written TribLocal edition for his local town as a "worthless piece of garbage."[52]

Tribune investment

In April 2012, the Tribune Company invested money into Journatic, Timpone's company that provides media content. [53]

Tribune firing of Journatic

According to an April 2012 article in the Chicago Tribune, "The partnership has become an embarrassment after ethical breaches, including false bylines, plagiarism and fake quotations, were discovered."[54] By July 2012, the Tribune fired Journatic for using fake bylines and engaging in plagiarism.[55]

Restricted reinstatement

By the end of the year, Tribune and Journatic began working together again, but Journatic played a smaller role in producing content for TribLocal.[56]

Timpone's corporate trail

Greater Illinois Newsgroup

In 2003, Timpone started a company called Greater Illinois Newsgroup, a chain of four community newspapers located in central Illinois.[57]

Northern CB

Corporate records list Timpone as the registered agent and president of Northern CB. Timpone formed the company on June 5, 2003. It was later dissolved.[58] A company profile of Northern CB on Bloomberg Business indicates that it is a printing services company located in Chicago.[59]

Journatic

The name Journatic is derived from the mix of the words journalism and automatic.[60] In 2014, Journatic changed its name to LocalLabs.[61]

According to the American Media Institute, Tribune Media owns 30 percent of LocalLabs.[62]

Property

According to Timpone's own real estate website Blockshopper.com, in 2005 he bought a Chicago property for $519,000. In 2007, he bought a townhouse in Lincoln Park for $730,000.[63] In January 2015, Timpone purchased a 5,667-square-foot home in River Forest, Illinois, for $950,000.[64]

Campaign contributions

On May 13, 2009, Timpone contributed $2,500 to Dan Proft, a candidate for governor in Illinois. On the same day, Northern CB contributed the same amount to Proft. On June 23, Newsinator contributed $5,000 to Proft.[65] According to Illinois Sunshine, both Timpone and Newsinator ranked in the top 25 donors to Dan Proft's campaign. Timpone gave a total of $6,000. Newsinator gave a total of $10,000.[66]

Federal campaign contribution records show that Timpone lives in River Forest, Illinois, and donated $5,000 to Texas Governor Rick Perry on October 19, 2011. Under those records, Timpone's occupation is listed as "NORTHERN CB CORPORATION."[67]

Boards

Timpone sits on the media advisory board of American Media Institute.[68] The American Media Institute is a self-proclaimed "independent source of exclusive investigative journalism."[69]

References

  1. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  2. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  3. ↑ http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2006/08/lee_daniels_for.html
  4. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  5. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  6. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  7. ↑ http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/179555/journatic-staffer-takes-this-american-life-inside-outsourced-journalism/
  8. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  9. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  10. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  11. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  12. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  13. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  14. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  15. ↑ http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/plagiarism_and_a_resignation_a.php
  16. ↑ http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/plagiarism_and_a_resignation_a.php
  17. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  18. ↑ http://www.clairestamant.com/2012/07/brian-timpone-is-killing-journalism/
  19. ↑ http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2012/04/24/tribune-company-does-deal-with-journatic
  20. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  21. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  22. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  23. ↑ http://www.jonesday.com
  24. ↑ http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_allows_jones_day_suit_over_web_posts_about_attorney_home_purchases
  25. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  26. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  27. ↑ http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/in_fig_leaf_settlement_with_jones_day_website_agrees_to_adjust_use_of_links/
  28. ↑ http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/181009/journatic-published-hundreds-of-stories-under-fake-bylines-on-houston-chronicle-websites/
  29. ↑ http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/181009/journatic-published-hundreds-of-stories-under-fake-bylines-on-houston-chronicle-websites/
  30. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  31. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  32. ↑ http://streetfightmag.com/2012/07/02/journatic-ceo-accepts-blame-for-blockshoppers-fake-bylines/
  33. ↑ http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/plagiarism_and_a_resignation_a.php
  34. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  35. ↑ https://www.crunchbase.com/person/brian-timpone#/entity
  36. ↑ http://www.niemanlab.org/2010/10/using-the-power-of-publishing-to-influence-the-u-s-chamber-of-commerces-entry-into-the-news-biz/
  37. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38184-2004Dec5.html
  38. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38184-2004Dec5.html
  39. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38184-2004Dec5.html
  40. ↑ http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/magazine/content/10_48/b4205040165489.htm
  41. ↑ http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/magazine/content/10_48/b4205040165489.htm
  42. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  43. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  44. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  45. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  46. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  47. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0913/outfront-housing-web-day-jones-timpone-housing-snoop.html
  48. ↑ http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2012/04/24/tribune-company-does-deal-with-journatic
  49. ↑ http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/blockshopper.html
  50. ↑ http://streetfightmag.com/2013/05/10/10-months-later-hyperlocal-news-service-journatic-quietly-presses-on/
  51. ↑ http://streetfightmag.com/2013/05/10/10-months-later-hyperlocal-news-service-journatic-quietly-presses-on/
  52. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  53. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  54. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  55. ↑ http://streetfightmag.com/2013/05/10/10-months-later-hyperlocal-news-service-journatic-quietly-presses-on/
  56. ↑ http://streetfightmag.com/2013/05/10/10-months-later-hyperlocal-news-service-journatic-quietly-presses-on/
  57. ↑ http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=112993840&privcapId=204761417
  58. ↑ http://businessprofiles.com/details/northern-cb-corporation/IL-62911336
  59. ↑ http://www.bloomberg.com/profiles/companies/1068235D:US-northern-cb-corp
  60. ↑ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/468/switcheroo?act=2
  61. ↑ http://jimromenesko.com/2014/04/14/hyperlocal-content-creator-journatic-is-renamed-locallabs/
  62. ↑ https://americanmediainstitute.com/media-advisory-board/
  63. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/business/ct-biz-0722-brian-timpone--20120722_1_media-content-provider-journatic-llc-website
  64. ↑ http://chicago.blockshopper.com/property/15013170100000/922_lathrop/
  65. ↑ http://illinoiselectiondata.com/budget/reports/contrib.php?CandID=51
  66. ↑ http://illinoissunshine.org/committees/proft-for-governor-22072/
  67. ↑ https://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Brian+Timpone&cycle=All&sort=R&state=IL&zip=&employ=&cand=&submit=Submit
  68. ↑ https://americanmediainstitute.com/media-advisory-board/
  69. ↑ https://americanmediainstitute.com/independent-in-depth-investigative-journalism/

External links

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