Koch downplays report of newspaper-company purchase

Koch Industries officials were downplaying a report by the New York Times that the Wichita-based company is aggressively pursuing the Tribune Company’s newspaper portfolio, a story that first broke six weeks ago.

Koch spokeswoman Melissa Cohlmia said that “the New York Times and many other stories have this in common – lots of conjecture and many unnamed and anonymous sources.” She said Koch Industries is “not bound by the industries we currently work in.” “We are bounded only by our capabilities, not industry areas, and ... we approach any acquisition or investment with an eye to how it adds value for both the buyer and the seller,” Cohlmia said. A major newspaper chain is a natural fit for the company, said Scott Reinardy, associate professor of journalism at the University of Kansas. “Why not?” he asked. “They spent all that advertising money in the last election and didn’t get the outcome they desired, so why not take a different track?” What’s less clear, Reinardy said, is whether the company considers newspapers an investment or a political vehicle.