I got into the poker industry and the writing part of it, specifically, by a happy accident back in 2005. In the eleven years since, I have generally been able to write what I want on my own terms. There have been those rare times, however, when I have been told to stay away from a certain topic or perhaps adjust the way I wrote an article, whether it was to add some sort of mention, remove something, or alter the tone. Only a handful of those times did the request from someone up above truly frustrate me, but hey, it comes with the territory. Not every day is great in any of our jobs; I wasn’t about to quit just because someone pissed me off one day. But then again, I’ve never had a serious journalist role like columnist John L. Smith of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
On Tuesday, Smith resigned from Nevada’s largest newspaper because he was instructed to no longer write about casino barons Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn.
Adelson, CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and billionaire Republican string-puller, purchased the Review-Journal in December 2015 for $140 million, an amount that seemed exorbitant. The prevailing opinion at the time was that he bought the paper in order to use it to exert political influence, but the paper’s publisher, Jason Taylor, said that Adelson would have no influence on editorial content.
Taylor was replaced on January 28th by Craig Moon, who reported directly to the Adelson family ownership. Prior to his installation, there was a disclosure in the paper about Adelson’s ownership; after his hiring, that disclosure was deleted. It was that day that Smith was instructed to stop writing about Adelson, a fact that remained largely a secret until this past Saturday.
On Saturday, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas hosted a public Society of Professional Journalists meeting during which Review-Journal editor J. Keith Moyer (who joined the staff in February) was interviewed. During the interview, he for some reason revealed that he had told Smith not to write about Sheldon Adelson. This jaw-dropping admission was live-tweeted by several journalists, including those from his paper, who were in attendance.
Moyer explained (or tried to explain) that Smith had a legal history with Adelson and therefore “it was a conflict for John to write about Sheldon.”
In 2005, Adelson sued Smith in response to a book he wrote about the CEO. That lawsuit was dismissed by a judge. A similar lawsuit for a similar reason was brought against Smith in 1997 by Steve Wynn. That suit was also dismissed.
When asked about the Wynn lawsuit, Moyer admitted he knew nothing about it. According to Jon Ralston of Ralston Reports, Moyer told Smith on Monday to stop writing about Wynn, as well.
It sounds like that was the last straw for Smith, who resigned Tuesday. Before leaving he explained his reasons via a letter he distributed around the office, saying, in part, “….if you don’t have the freedom to call the community’s heavyweights to account, then that “commentary” tag isn’t worth the paper on which it’s printed.”
Smith’s entire letter is copied below.
Job Opening: Columnist
Dear Friends,
I learned many years ago about the importance of not punching down in weight class. You don’t hit “little people” in this craft, you defend them. In Las Vegas, the quintessential company town, it’s the blowhard billionaires and their political toadies who are worth punching. And if you don’t have the freedom to call the community’s heavyweights to account, then that “commentary” tag isn’t worth the paper on which it’s printed.
It isn’t always easy to afflict the comfortable and question authority, but it’s an essential part of the job. And although I’ve fallen short of the mark many times over the past three decades, this is a job I’ve loved.
But recent events have convinced me that I can no longer remain employed at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a spirited newspaper that has battled to remain an independent voice of journalism in this community. If a Las Vegas columnist is considered “conflicted” because he’s been unsuccessfully sued by two of the most powerful and outspoken players in the gaming industry, then it’s time to move on. If the Strip’s thin-skinned casino bosses aren’t grist for commentary, who is?
It’s been an honor working with you all. Your hard work and dedication remind me every day that journalism is better than ever – even if management leaves something to be desired.
Take care,
John L. Smith