Political connections of N.J. local news owners have risen with limited transparency, investigation shows

A New Jersey Monitor investigation found that political connections of local news owners in N.J. have risen in recent years with limited transparency, contributing to a growing distrust of media. It showed that TAPinto franchises its local news sites to politically connected people, including Bloomfield Fire Chief Louis Venezia and Deputy Chief Joe Coletta, who own and edit TAPinto Bloomfield. Venezia’s brother Michael became a state assemblyman in 2024 after a decade as Bloomfield’s mayor. Newark’s TAPinto franchise is co-published by Bruno Tedeschi, who also chairs the Westfield Democratic Committee. TAPinto founder Michael Shapiro said franchisee applicants undergo an interview process to confirm they have no political agenda.

From New Jersey Monitor.