Brian Tierney
Encyclopedia
Brian P. Tierney is an American
a former advertising and public relations executive and publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer
. Born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
, Tierney created Tierney Communications, one of the largest and most successful public relations
and advertising firms in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. In the local media Tierney became known for personally contacting reporters and their editors with accusations of bias and unprofessionalism whenever a negative story about his clients appeared. Five years after True North Communications acquired Tierney Communications in 1998, Tierney left and founded another public relations firm, which was a sold a few months later.
Tierney in 2006 assembled a group of investors to form Philadelphia Media Holdings
LLC, a group started with the purpose of buying The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News
. Chief executive of Philadelphia Media Holdings, Tierney also became the publisher of the struggling Philadelphia Inquirer shortly after Philadelphia Media Holdings bought the paper. After overcoming doubts about Tierney's neutrality in running the paper he had criticized in the past, Philadelphia Media Holdings has had to deal with the newspaper's falling circulation and advertising revenue; it has filed bankruptcy. On April 28, 2010, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com were sold at a bankruptcy auction to a group of the original lenders led by Angelo Gordon & Company as well as some new investors. The auction was rated a success in terms of the total price ($139 million), preservation of 2,500 jobs and dramatically reducing the company's long-term debt. The transaction has not yet closed. Mr. Tierney stepped down from his position as CEO of the company on May 21, 2010 in order to allow for a smooth transition. Several news accounts of his tenure have called him an "improbable savior" and an "unlikely warrior.". Other accounts have said, "For Tierney...his tenure as CEO by many measures could be rated a success." and "As for Tierney, give him credit for trying."
Outside of business, Tierney has been active in politics and a supporter of Republican
causes. Working for the Ronald Reagan
administration in the 1980s, Tierney also worked in George W. Bush
's 2000 Presidential election
campaign, and Sam Katz
's 2003 run for Philadelphia mayor. Tierney is also an active member of numerous board of directors
including NutriSystem
and his old school, The Episcopal Academy
.
, he attended Waldron Mercy Academy
and later The Episcopal Academy
. When he was seven, his family moved to Springfield Township, Pennsylvania
. In 1975, at the age of eighteen, Tierney unsuccessfully sought the Democratic
nomination for township commissioner of Springfield. During the campaign supporters of his opponent in the Democratic primary had torn down his campaign posters and stole other campaign items. Tierney became a Republican
after the primary when a few Republicans who said they would look out for his stuff during his primary campaign, invited him to a party meeting.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1979, majoring in political science. At the University of Pennsylvania, Tierney ran the Penn Students for Gerald Ford
campaign, and, at the age of twenty-two, moved to Washington, D.C.
where he worked for the Republican National Committee
in various positions, including as a messenger between Ronald Reagan
's administration and Republican candidates across the country. Tierney moved back to the Philadelphia region as a Reagan appointee in the U.S. Small Business Administration's public affairs office. In 1987, he received a law degree from Widener University
. Tierney married in 1980 and has two children.
in 1984, which he financed on his credit card. In 1986, he sold the company to Lewis Gilman & Kynett. Tierney stayed with Lewis Gilman & Kynett and by the time he turned twenty-nine he had become president and CEO of the public relations division. In 1989, he left Lewis Gilman & Kynett and founded Tierney Group, another public relations company, with just three people. One of those people remembers Tierney's saying "We need to look at what everyone else is charging and charge our clients $15 an hour more." When told that was crazy Tierney responded, "We're going to be the best at what we do. We need to charge people accordingly." The company quickly grew with billings of US$3.5 million and thirty-five employees in offices in three cities.
In 1994 Tierney, in association with Chicago
-based True North Communications, made a deal with Foote, Cone & Belding Communications to take control of FCB Philadelphia. FCB Philadelphia, which up to 1989 was Lewis Gilman & Kynett, was renamed FCB/Tierney in May 1994 and renamed again in 1995 to Tierney & Partners. Tierney built the company into one of the largest public relations and advertising firms in the Mid Atlantic
. Tierney's clients included IBM
, McDonald's
, Verizon
, PECO Energy
and the Pennsylvania Lottery
. The company created an award winning advertising campaign for Verizon starring James Earl Jones
and the slogan "Philadelphia: The place that loves you back" for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
. Other advertising campaigns included wrapping a giant hoagie around Philadelphia City Hall
to promote Wawa Food Markets
and an ad campaign to prevent a hostile takeover of PECO Energy by Enron
.
and Inquirer reporter Ralph Cipriano.
Ralph Cipriano was The Philadelphia Inquirer's religion reporter for about a year in 1993. During that time he was called several times by Tierney on behalf of Tierney's client, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
. After leaving the religion reporter position, Cipriano wrote articles for the Sunday paper, where in 1997 he wrote a profile on Cardinal
Anthony Bevilacqua. The profile turned into an investigative piece as Cipriano obtained documents detailing US$5 million in questionable spending and how the church was spending millions in the suburbs while cutting inner-city services.
While Cipriano worked on the piece, he and his editors, Jonathan Neumann and Pulitzer Prize
winner Robert Rosenthal, were contacted by Tierney. Tierney accused Ralph Cipriano of using inaccurate facts, trespassing and creating a protest at the Archdiocese's vacation home in Ventnor City, New Jersey
, all of which Cipriano denies. Cipriano says that Tierney indicated to him that it was the Archdiocese that had gotten him removed from the religion reporter position, a position Cipriano says he thought he left on his own. Also according to Cipriano, Tierney indicated that if Cipriano was involved in any story about the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Tierney would start a public relations campaign to ruin Cipriano and The Philadelphia Inquirer, a charge that Tierney denies.
The story Cipriano originally wanted in The Inquirer was never published. Cipriano accused The Inquirer of censoring his report and giving into demands from the Archdiocese. Cipriano eventually was published in the National Catholic Reporter
and editor Robert Rosenthal accused Cipriano of bias and not being able to prove his stories. Rosenthal said Cipriano "has a very strong personal point of view and an agenda...There were things we didn't publish that Ralph wrote that we didn't think were truthful. He could never prove them." Cipriano sued Rosenthal and The Inquirer for libel and the case was later settled out of court. In an 2001 interview with the Editor & Publisher
, Cardinal Bevilacqua credited Tierney with stopping the story and noted that The Philadelphia Inquirer's stories about the Archdiocese have been more positive. In 1998 Tierney was named a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
by Pope John Paul II
.
. Tierney continued as CEO until April 2002, when he stepped down. He continued with Tierney Communications as chairman until December 1, 2003, when Tierney resigned and announced he was founding a new public relations firm, T2 Group.
T2 Group lasted until June 2004 when Tierney announced it was being bought by credit card company Advanta
and that Tierney and most of T2's management would be hired by Advanta. Tierney became vice chairman of Advanta, but in February 2005, Advanta announced Tierney was no longer serving as vice-chairman. The company gave no explanation as to why Tierney lost the position and Tierney's employment with the company ended the next month.
In 2005 Tierney attempted to buy magazines Inc.
and Fast Company
from Gruner + Jahr
, but failed. Tierney tried again to enter the media industry in March 2006 when he assembled a group of mostly former clients or people that are with him on the board of the Episcopal Academy to buy Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. He and other local businessman formed Philadelphia Media Holdings
LLC and bought The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News
and philly.com for US$515 million from The McClatchy Company
which was selling off newspapers in low growth markets after buying Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.'s parent company Knight Ridder
. The buyout was met with skepticism by many at The Inquirer, especially by reporters who had been contacted in the past by Tierney on behalf of his clients. Tierney allayed fears with the members of Philadelphia Media Holdings signing a pledge not to interfere with the paper's editorial independence
. Tierney said he would combat The Inquirer's decreasing revenue by spending millions on advertisements and promotions and not by laying off staff. Tierney assumed the role as publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer in August 2006 after former publisher Joe Natoli resigned for a job at the University of Miami
.
The Inquier's circulation has been dropping since the 1980s, and except for briefly seeing a rise in weekday circulation in 2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer's weekday and Sunday circulation has continued to steadily drop since Philadelphia Media Holdings bought the paper. Loss of circulation combined with an unexpected drop in advertising revenue have forced more than 400 job cuts at The Inquirer and Daily News since they were bought by Philadelphia Media Holdings. As Philadelphia Media Holdings financial situation worsened in 2008 employees began complaining about how management has been monitoring things such as bathroom breaks and the coffee they drink, and that Tierney has been patrolling the parking garage seeing what time employees arrive for work. Despite efforts to manage the financial strain, on February 21, 2009, Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the subsidiary of Philadelphia Media Holdings that owns the paper, filled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
. The company hoped to restructure the US$390 million in debt it borrowed to buy the newspapers, but the end result was that the papers were auctioned off to the company's lenders. The beginning of 2009 also saw the filing of a lawsuit that accused The Philadelphia Inquirer of writing critical stories about Chester Community Charter School's use of public funds after business negotiations between school operator Vahan H. Gureghian and Tierney failed.
's outreach to Catholics in the 2000 Presidential Election
. Tierney was credited with helping generate votes for Bush and helping him win important states like Ohio and Missouri. Tierney also frequently appeared as a conservative voice on WPVI-TV
's Inside Story. In 2003 Tierney headed Sam Katz
's third campaign for mayor of Philadelphia, which he lost to incumbent mayor John F. Street
. During the campaign, Tierney was involved in a highly publicized dispute with Neil Oxman. Oxman was a political consultant and friend of Sam Katz who worked on Katz's 1999 run for mayor. Oxman left Katz's 2003 campaign because he was unable to work with Tierney, saying Tierney was a "shameless self-promoter" and "full of bullshit". Katz praised Tierney, who he said was full of optimism, which Katz said was a great asset when things were going poorly in the campaign and in Katz's personal life.
Tierney is a member of numerous board of directors
in the Philadelphia area. He has been on the boards of Thomas Jefferson University
, the Zoological Society of Philadelphia
and the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania
, among others. A member of the board for NutriSystem
, Tierney played an important role in the company's turnaround with the decision to dramatically increase the marketing budget. As a member of the board of the Episcopal Academy, Tierney galvanized the board of directors to buy land in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
and move the school there. In 2001, the school's board of trustees approved the preliminary step of buying 123 acres (49.8 ha) of farmland in Newtown Square. Tierney, along with fellow board member Brian O'Neill, led a ninety day campaign to raise the US$20 million needed for the property.
The Pennsylvania Report
named him to the 2009 "The Pennsylvania Report 100" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania. In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA
list of politically influential individuals. In 2003, he was named the PoliticsPA
list of politically invluential individuals, where he was called a "potential statewide candidate in 2004."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
a former advertising and public relations executive and publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
. Born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Darby Township is a home rule township bordering West Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Although it retains the term "Township" in its legal name, presumably for historic reasons, it is the largest municipality of any type in Delaware County. Upper Darby is also home to the Tower Theater, a...
, Tierney created Tierney Communications, one of the largest and most successful public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and advertising firms in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In the local media Tierney became known for personally contacting reporters and their editors with accusations of bias and unprofessionalism whenever a negative story about his clients appeared. Five years after True North Communications acquired Tierney Communications in 1998, Tierney left and founded another public relations firm, which was a sold a few months later.
Tierney in 2006 assembled a group of investors to form Philadelphia Media Holdings
Philadelphia Media Holdings
Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC was an American holding company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by Brian Tierney in 2006, the company owned The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News...
LLC, a group started with the purpose of buying The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
. Chief executive of Philadelphia Media Holdings, Tierney also became the publisher of the struggling Philadelphia Inquirer shortly after Philadelphia Media Holdings bought the paper. After overcoming doubts about Tierney's neutrality in running the paper he had criticized in the past, Philadelphia Media Holdings has had to deal with the newspaper's falling circulation and advertising revenue; it has filed bankruptcy. On April 28, 2010, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com were sold at a bankruptcy auction to a group of the original lenders led by Angelo Gordon & Company as well as some new investors. The auction was rated a success in terms of the total price ($139 million), preservation of 2,500 jobs and dramatically reducing the company's long-term debt. The transaction has not yet closed. Mr. Tierney stepped down from his position as CEO of the company on May 21, 2010 in order to allow for a smooth transition. Several news accounts of his tenure have called him an "improbable savior" and an "unlikely warrior.". Other accounts have said, "For Tierney...his tenure as CEO by many measures could be rated a success." and "As for Tierney, give him credit for trying."
Outside of business, Tierney has been active in politics and a supporter of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
causes. Working for the Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
administration in the 1980s, Tierney also worked in George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's 2000 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
campaign, and Sam Katz
Sam Katz (Philadelphia)
Sam Katz is an American politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is most notable for his three unsuccessful campaigns as a member of the Republican Party for Mayor of Philadelphia...
's 2003 run for Philadelphia mayor. Tierney is also an active member of numerous board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
including NutriSystem
Nutrisystems Diet
Nutrisystem, headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, is a commercial provider of weight loss products and services. Initially, the company offered weight loss counseling and products in brick and mortar centers. In 1999, the company moved to a direct-to-consumer business model, selling its...
and his old school, The Episcopal Academy
The Episcopal Academy
The Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12. In 2008, it relocated from its Merion, Pennsylvania campus and Devon, Pennsylvania satellite campus to its new campus in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania...
.
Early life
Brian Tierney is the fourth of five sons of James and Claire Tierney. Growing up in Upper Darby Township, PennsylvaniaUpper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Darby Township is a home rule township bordering West Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Although it retains the term "Township" in its legal name, presumably for historic reasons, it is the largest municipality of any type in Delaware County. Upper Darby is also home to the Tower Theater, a...
, he attended Waldron Mercy Academy
Waldron Mercy Academy
Waldron Mercy Academy is a K-8 Catholic private elementary school, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, located in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, USA...
and later The Episcopal Academy
The Episcopal Academy
The Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12. In 2008, it relocated from its Merion, Pennsylvania campus and Devon, Pennsylvania satellite campus to its new campus in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania...
. When he was seven, his family moved to Springfield Township, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
. In 1975, at the age of eighteen, Tierney unsuccessfully sought the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for township commissioner of Springfield. During the campaign supporters of his opponent in the Democratic primary had torn down his campaign posters and stole other campaign items. Tierney became a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
after the primary when a few Republicans who said they would look out for his stuff during his primary campaign, invited him to a party meeting.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1979, majoring in political science. At the University of Pennsylvania, Tierney ran the Penn Students for Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
campaign, and, at the age of twenty-two, moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
where he worked for the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
in various positions, including as a messenger between Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's administration and Republican candidates across the country. Tierney moved back to the Philadelphia region as a Reagan appointee in the U.S. Small Business Administration's public affairs office. In 1987, he received a law degree from Widener University
Widener University
Widener University is a private, coeducational university located in Chester, Pennsylvania.Its main campus sits on 108 acres , just southwest of Philadelphia...
. Tierney married in 1980 and has two children.
Public relations
While earning his law degree at Widener University, Tierney founded Tierney & Company Public RelationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
in 1984, which he financed on his credit card. In 1986, he sold the company to Lewis Gilman & Kynett. Tierney stayed with Lewis Gilman & Kynett and by the time he turned twenty-nine he had become president and CEO of the public relations division. In 1989, he left Lewis Gilman & Kynett and founded Tierney Group, another public relations company, with just three people. One of those people remembers Tierney's saying "We need to look at what everyone else is charging and charge our clients $15 an hour more." When told that was crazy Tierney responded, "We're going to be the best at what we do. We need to charge people accordingly." The company quickly grew with billings of US$3.5 million and thirty-five employees in offices in three cities.
In 1994 Tierney, in association with Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based True North Communications, made a deal with Foote, Cone & Belding Communications to take control of FCB Philadelphia. FCB Philadelphia, which up to 1989 was Lewis Gilman & Kynett, was renamed FCB/Tierney in May 1994 and renamed again in 1995 to Tierney & Partners. Tierney built the company into one of the largest public relations and advertising firms in the Mid Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
. Tierney's clients included IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Verizon
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
, PECO Energy
Exelon
Exelon Corporation is an electricity generating and distributing company headquartered in the Chase Tower in the Chicago Loop area of Chicago. It was created in October, 2000 by the merger of PECO Energy Company and Unicom, of Philadelphia and Chicago respectively. Unicom owned Commonwealth Edison...
and the Pennsylvania Lottery
Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery is operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lottery was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; two months later, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first executive director...
. The company created an award winning advertising campaign for Verizon starring James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
and the slogan "Philadelphia: The place that loves you back" for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is a private, non-profit organization that promotes leisure travel to the five-county Philadelphia region...
. Other advertising campaigns included wrapping a giant hoagie around Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin...
to promote Wawa Food Markets
Wawa Food Markets
Wawa Inc. is a chain of convenience store/gas stations located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It operates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, near the community...
and an ad campaign to prevent a hostile takeover of PECO Energy by Enron
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
.
Cipriano affair
Along with promotions, Tierney would advocate for his clients when targeted by news reporters. Tierney would contact news editors to complain about coverage of his clients, accusing news reporters of being biased, incompetent and unprofessional. The most notable of Tierney's complaints to reporters was directed at The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
and Inquirer reporter Ralph Cipriano.
Ralph Cipriano was The Philadelphia Inquirer
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
. After leaving the religion reporter position, Cipriano wrote articles for the Sunday paper, where in 1997 he wrote a profile on Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Anthony Bevilacqua. The profile turned into an investigative piece as Cipriano obtained documents detailing US$5 million in questionable spending and how the church was spending millions in the suburbs while cutting inner-city services.
While Cipriano worked on the piece, he and his editors, Jonathan Neumann and Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner Robert Rosenthal, were contacted by Tierney. Tierney accused Ralph Cipriano of using inaccurate facts, trespassing and creating a protest at the Archdiocese's vacation home in Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
, all of which Cipriano denies. Cipriano says that Tierney indicated to him that it was the Archdiocese that had gotten him removed from the religion reporter position, a position Cipriano says he thought he left on his own. Also according to Cipriano, Tierney indicated that if Cipriano was involved in any story about the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Tierney would start a public relations campaign to ruin Cipriano and The Philadelphia Inquirer, a charge that Tierney denies.
The story Cipriano originally wanted in The Inquirer was never published. Cipriano accused The Inquirer of censoring his report and giving into demands from the Archdiocese. Cipriano eventually was published in the National Catholic Reporter
National Catholic Reporter
The National Catholic Reporter is the second largest Catholic newspaper in the United States; its circulation reaches ninety-seven countries on six continents. Based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, NCR was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964 as an independent newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church...
and editor Robert Rosenthal accused Cipriano of bias and not being able to prove his stories. Rosenthal said Cipriano "has a very strong personal point of view and an agenda...There were things we didn't publish that Ralph wrote that we didn't think were truthful. He could never prove them." Cipriano sued Rosenthal and The Inquirer for libel and the case was later settled out of court. In an 2001 interview with the Editor & Publisher
Editor & Publisher
Editor & Publisher is a monthly magazine covering the North American newspaper industry. It is based in New York City. E&P calls itself "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry" and describes itself on its website as "the authoritative journal covering all aspects of the North...
, Cardinal Bevilacqua credited Tierney with stopping the story and noted that The Philadelphia Inquirer
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
Later ventures
Tierney Group and Tierney & Partners, later renamed Tierney Communications, was bought by True North Communications in 1998, which is now part of Interpublic GroupInterpublic Group of Companies
The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. is one of the "big four" global advertising holding companies . Headquartered in New York City, it has 41,000 employees and reported full−year revenues of US$6.5 billion for 2010...
. Tierney continued as CEO until April 2002, when he stepped down. He continued with Tierney Communications as chairman until December 1, 2003, when Tierney resigned and announced he was founding a new public relations firm, T2 Group.
T2 Group lasted until June 2004 when Tierney announced it was being bought by credit card company Advanta
Advanta
Advanta was an American banking company. It controlled two banks, Advanta Bank Corp and Advanta National Bank. The banking corporation is not associated with Advanta Energy Corp., an energy consulting practice based in California. Until 1988, the company was called TSO Financial.The bank was...
and that Tierney and most of T2's management would be hired by Advanta. Tierney became vice chairman of Advanta, but in February 2005, Advanta announced Tierney was no longer serving as vice-chairman. The company gave no explanation as to why Tierney lost the position and Tierney's employment with the company ended the next month.
Philadelphia Media Holdings
Inc. (magazine)
Inc. magazine, founded in 1979 and based in New York City, is a monthly publication focused on growing companies. The magazine publishes an annual list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., the "Inc...
and Fast Company
Fast Company (magazine)
Fast Company is a full-color business magazine that releases 10 issues per year and reports on topics including innovation, digital media, technology, change management, leadership, design, and social responsibility...
from Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. KG is the largest European printing and publishing firm. Its headquarters is in Hamburg, Germany.-History:Originally founded on August 1, 1948 as the Henri Nannen publishing house, Gruner + Jahr was created in 1965 from a merger by acquisition, by publishers John Jahr Sr....
, but failed. Tierney tried again to enter the media industry in March 2006 when he assembled a group of mostly former clients or people that are with him on the board of the Episcopal Academy to buy Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. He and other local businessman formed Philadelphia Media Holdings
Philadelphia Media Holdings
Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC was an American holding company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by Brian Tierney in 2006, the company owned The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News...
LLC and bought The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
and philly.com for US$515 million from The McClatchy Company
The McClatchy Company
The McClatchy Company is a publicly traded American publishing company based in Sacramento, California. It operates 30 daily newspapers in 15 states and has an average weekday circulation of 2.2 million and Sunday circulation of 2.8 million...
which was selling off newspapers in low growth markets after buying Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.'s parent company Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by The McClatchy Company on June 27, 2006, it was the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspapers sold.- History :The corporate ancestors of...
. The buyout was met with skepticism by many at The Inquirer, especially by reporters who had been contacted in the past by Tierney on behalf of his clients. Tierney allayed fears with the members of Philadelphia Media Holdings signing a pledge not to interfere with the paper's editorial independence
Editorial independence
Editorial independence is the freedom of editors to make decisions without interference from the owners of a publication. Editorial independence is tested, for instance, if a newspaper runs articles that may be unpopular with its advertising clientele....
. Tierney said he would combat The Inquirer
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
The Inquier
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
. The company hoped to restructure the US$390 million in debt it borrowed to buy the newspapers, but the end result was that the papers were auctioned off to the company's lenders. The beginning of 2009 also saw the filing of a lawsuit that accused The Philadelphia Inquirer of writing critical stories about Chester Community Charter School's use of public funds after business negotiations between school operator Vahan H. Gureghian and Tierney failed.
Other activities
Tierney continued his political activism in 1990s and early 2000s by donating to local and national campaigns and headed George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's outreach to Catholics in the 2000 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
. Tierney was credited with helping generate votes for Bush and helping him win important states like Ohio and Missouri. Tierney also frequently appeared as a conservative voice on WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
's Inside Story. In 2003 Tierney headed Sam Katz
Sam Katz (Philadelphia)
Sam Katz is an American politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is most notable for his three unsuccessful campaigns as a member of the Republican Party for Mayor of Philadelphia...
's third campaign for mayor of Philadelphia, which he lost to incumbent mayor John F. Street
John F. Street
John Franklin Street was the 97th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. He was first elected to a term beginning on January 3, 2000, and was re-elected to a second term beginning in 2004...
. During the campaign, Tierney was involved in a highly publicized dispute with Neil Oxman. Oxman was a political consultant and friend of Sam Katz who worked on Katz's 1999 run for mayor. Oxman left Katz's 2003 campaign because he was unable to work with Tierney, saying Tierney was a "shameless self-promoter" and "full of bullshit". Katz praised Tierney, who he said was full of optimism, which Katz said was a great asset when things were going poorly in the campaign and in Katz's personal life.
Tierney is a member of numerous board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
in the Philadelphia area. He has been on the boards of Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University is a private health sciences university in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The university consists of six constituent colleges and schools, Jefferson Medical College, Jefferson College of Graduate Studies, Jefferson School of Health...
, the Zoological Society of Philadelphia
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874...
and the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, commonly called The Penn Museum, is an archaeology and anthropology museum that is part of the University of Pennsylvania in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:An internationally renowned...
, among others. A member of the board for NutriSystem
Nutrisystems Diet
Nutrisystem, headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, is a commercial provider of weight loss products and services. Initially, the company offered weight loss counseling and products in brick and mortar centers. In 1999, the company moved to a direct-to-consumer business model, selling its...
, Tierney played an important role in the company's turnaround with the decision to dramatically increase the marketing budget. As a member of the board of the Episcopal Academy, Tierney galvanized the board of directors to buy land in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Newtown Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States . Newtown Township is the oldest township in Delaware County. The population was 11,700 as of the 2000 census.-History:...
and move the school there. In 2001, the school's board of trustees approved the preliminary step of buying 123 acres (49.8 ha) of farmland in Newtown Square. Tierney, along with fellow board member Brian O'Neill, led a ninety day campaign to raise the US$20 million needed for the property.
The Pennsylvania Report
Pennsylvania Report
The Pennsylvania Report is an independent bi-weekly subscription-based political newspaper published in Pennsylvania. It is "widely read by the state's political junkies." It was founded in 1985 by David Buffington, a former public relations worker for the Pennsylvania Government.It provides...
named him to the 2009 "The Pennsylvania Report 100" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania. In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA
PoliticsPA
- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...
list of politically influential individuals. In 2003, he was named the PoliticsPA
PoliticsPA
- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...
list of politically invluential individuals, where he was called a "potential statewide candidate in 2004."