World Sues Blogger Bates, Newspaper

The Tulsa World sued one of its regular critics on Thursday, alleging that the newspaper Urban Tulsa Weekly and columnist/blogger Michael Bates libeled the newspaper for alleged false claims that the World misled advertisers about its paid circulation.

"When a firm purportedly in the news business makes a claim that we have misled our advertisers, they call into question our integrity, and we cannot and will not let that stand," said World Publisher Robert E. Lorton III.

He said the World objects to Bates' claim in the January 15th issue of Urban Tulsa Weekly that the World concealed circulation declines from 1997 to 2007. Bates specifically alleges that a 2006 report by the Audit Bureau of Circulation "suggests the World was inflating its circulation by as much as 20 percent."

The World said the ABC audit showed drops of 6 percent in daily circulation and 5 percent in Sunday circulation for the period in question.

The lawsuit does not dispute that the newspaper's print editions have lost circulation over the past decade, but it does dispute Bates' claim that the losses were concealed or might have been greater than reported.

The lawsuit also contends that Bates and Urban Tulsa Weekly Publisher Keith Skrzypcak knowingly published the false information in an attempt to "gain commercial advantage."

Lorton said he does not object to criticism of himself or the World but will not stand for the organization's honesty being impugned.

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