When the wealthy and powerful seek to operate under different laws than the rest of society, news organizations can protect the public by exposing the behavior.
But what happens when the wealthy and powerful and the news organization are one and the same?
The Park Record published a report Jan. 26 about its owners, Matthew and Tatiana Prince, who want to demolish their two houses at 220 King Road on Treasure Hill overlooking Old Town and build a new dream home.
Their efforts received significant statewide media coverage last year after they hired lobbyist Lincoln Shurtz to get a state law passed enabling them to ignore city building codes.
Shurtz came close, but his effort failed after media attention.
Now the story’s back: The Princes want the Park City Planning Commission to approve revised plans this month. The recent Park Record story should have been a newsworthy update on the subject, but it omitted integral facts and relevant voices, resembling propaganda more than news.
The Park Record reported Jan. 26 about the Princes appearing Jan. 24 for the first time before the Park City Planning Commission to discuss their proposal. Matthew Prince addressed the commission in a non-voting work session about the amended plans and asked for feedback, questions, concerns and further information the commissioners needed in order to vote on the proposal Feb. 14.
The Princes are asking for approval at the next planning meeting despite ongoing Old Town code compliance questions related to the area’s Sensitive Lands Overlay, Steep Slope code and historic and infill guidelines — not mentioned in the story.
Why the rushed vote? The Princes may want one while the Legislature is in session so they’d have time to try to buy another law if they get denied.
The report quoted three sources: Matthew Prince, his lawyer and a friend (who made millions selling his piece of Treasure Hill), all describing the project’s wonderfulness.
A few facts were missing from the coverage that neighbors say warrant attention: Its roofline is 117 feet across, and the design features swaths of floor-to-ceiling windows they believe will turn the home into a casino after dark. Also, the most recent plans on file show two floors of unfinished space — what are those about? (The Princes told the Planning Commission on Jan. 24 they plan to build them but leave them unfinished — sounds like a weird use of building materials and space, but I’m not a billionaire.)
Neighbors didn’t get a voice in The Park Record coverage, which I found one-sided. So I spoke to some of them.
Ginger Tolman lives on Norfolk and has a partial view of the property. She said several neighbors are afraid of angering the Princes, but don’t support the project (which I confirmed).
“From what I’ve seen, this impacts the neighborhood in a negative way,” she said.
She also disputed the Princes’ claims that a new home will save the street from what’s long been a party pad, saying police records show the King Road address has been as quiet as any other in the neighborhood during her many years there.
The Park Record also should have disclosed that its editor lives in one of the houses the Princes want to tear down.
Including more facts would have added the credibility media operations require to be taken seriously. Some journalists and fans of journalism found the coverage depressing. Blurring lines between news and public relations makes us look bad.
Full disclosure: Journalism is hard, low-paying work, and ethics are everything. When I worked at KPCW, the newsroom gathered to read Matthew Prince’s email to the station pledging a generous six-figure, multi-year sponsorship. It was tantalizing, but the offer came while we were reporting on his efforts at the Legislature in March 2023. The general manager declined the money because independent media outlets must not only avoid such conflicts of interest, but even the mere appearance of conflicts of interest.
Those are the standards I hope the community holds The Park Record to, as well.
The Princes say their finished home will be “something to be proud of.” But will anyone feel that way about the local paper by then?
And will the Planning Commission green-light the castle on the hill? The city may fear the Legislature will pass a new law for the Princes removing its local control of historic design approval. That lands as a real concern given how close the Princes came last year at the Capitol. And what happened the year before that with Dakota Pacific. And the year before that with the Hideout annexation. And farther back with Greg Eriksen and the Park City Film Studios.
That’s got me wondering if fear of the Legislature is the best way to govern locally.
Michelle Deininger
Park City