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If You're Gonna Make It Rain, Use Your Own Money
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It was with great fanfare that the Los Angeles Times hired Sasha Frere-Jones as its new music critic, since he was the darling of people who care about rock critics anymore. But in less than a year, he managed to disappear. He did that in two ways: One, he barely bothered to write anything, taking advantage of a deal that let him write what he wanted, when he wanted to do it, which was... not much. And then, he "resigned." But if The Wrap's exclusive report is accurate, it wasn't because he didn't write enough. No, it was for expensing a $5,000 night at a strip club, claiming it was because he was interviewing a rapper. Apparently, he was not interviewing a rapper. And he also allegedly accepted a trip from a client, only getting caught when he canceled and the company called the newsroom to see if anyone else would want to go. There's also a story circulating alleging that he tried to trade favorable coverage for an artist in exchange for a ride to Coachella. If any of this is true, it's pretty damning and another sign that journalism ethics and standards are increasingly getting flushed. (The Wrap)
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