E.W. Scripps is Discriminatory in Selection of Interns

UPDATE III: A Brian’s Blog source confirmed early this morning that the Editor has informed the powers that be that she will accept applications from South Doyle High School. An email to the Publisher was sent this morning seeking clarification and attempting to see if Farragut would be included as well. No response from the Publisher on Farragut nearly 8 hours after the request.

It is anticipated that E.W. Scripps will notify Farragut High School at 12:01 p.m. on Friday after all students have left for the summer and then the Editor will say they attempted to get applications and no one applied.

Is the action of opening up the appplication process for South Doyle and not Farragut within 3 hours of the Publisher’s official response an act of insubordination by the Editor?

By the way, the argument that Farragut and South Doyle are not in the distribution area is weak as all E.W. Scripps publications are online and accessed by the students in Farragut and South Doyle.

UPDATE II: The response from the E.W. Scripps Publisher is far more professional than from the Editor. He has a tough job managing the Editor. However his explanation for his Editor’s actions are that the publication is not distributed in the Farragut area.

So, Brian’s Blog is encouraging Home School and Private School students from the Farragut area to apply who will then file reports to Brian’s Blog every Wednesday on the activities of internship program.

UPDATE: Brian’s Blog has emailed two questions to Bruce Hartmann, E.W. Scripps Publisher and to the Editor of the weekly publication. The initial response that I have received from the Editor is “Tell Arms he forgot South-Doyle. — s.” So, I have asked the questions again.

Check out The E.W. Scripps Company Statement of Policy on Ethics and Professional Conduct. Pay particular attention to the Equal Employment Policy section.

Original Post: The E.W. Scripps weekly newspaper publication has an ad in this weeks edition. Here is the text that is interesting.

Seeking applications from rising sophomores and juniors from:
Austin-East Magnet High – 2
Bearden High – 2
Carter High – 2
Central High – 2
Fulton High – 2
Gibbs High – 2
Halls High – 2
Karns High – 2
Powell High – 2
Union County High – 2
West High – 2
Alternative, home school, private school – 2

What is so interesting? You ask. It list 11 of Knox County’s 12 High Schools, it list an out of county High School and even an opportunity for Alternative, home school, or private school interns. Who does it leave out? Who does it discriminate against? Farragut High School students.

Now why would E.W. Scripps Company allow one of its subsidiaries to discriminate? I am not sure that E.W. Scripps Company is aware that they have individuals within their operational management that is willfully, knowingly, arrogantly discriminating against students that attend one particular school within its geography.

There are some valid reasons for not allowing students from Farragut to apply for a summer internship at the E.W. Scripps weekly newspaper publication.

1) It would double the IQ of the entire group.
2) Management has an anti – Farragut bias. (Don’t take our word for it read their comments on a local blog forum)

3) Management realizes they could not answer questions that would asked by two interns from Farragut.
4) Farragut students are already interning at reputable newspapers of record.

5) The “offices” (Knox County’s last two phone booths) are not big enough for two more interns, this summer.

This list will continue to grow. Feel free to submit your reasons why a subsidiary of E.W. Scripps is discriminatory against the kids of Farragut.