Two major media companies issued statements about workplace values in the last 24 hours or so. From New York Times owner Arthur Sulzberger's in-house "diversity and inclusion" reminder email this morning: "Our Company is committed to diversity and inclusion, and our goal is to provide a stimulating, supportive environment where employees can thrive and grow, sharing their many experiences, attitudes, cultures and viewpoints." Okay, fine!
But here's from new Tribune Company owner Sam Zell: "Discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic not related to performance, ability or attitude, protected by federal or state law, or not protected (such as inability to tell a joke, the occasional poor wardrobe choice or bad hair day), is strictly prohibited.... Working at Tribune means accepting that sometimes you might hear a word that you, personally, might not use. You might experience an attitude that you don't share." Wow. (PDF download, via LA Observed.)
And there's also this in the new Tribune manual: "Under Rule #1, you may want to think twice before you enter into an intimate relationship with a co-worker. When you start, it might seem like a good idea. It's when you stop, or the wrong people find out (and they will) that you could discover that perhaps it wasn't." That is THE BEST ADVICE EVER. Does Sam Zell live... in the real world? Also in the new Tribune Manual: "It's good judgment not to put in writing what you don't want printed on the front page of a newspaper. Or posted on a web site. Or heard on the news." This thing reads like it came out of some wacky internet startup. (Disclosure: I'm taking money from both companies. Uh, for now!)