Ten protesters gathered Tuesday morning in front of The Baltimore Sun's office on North Calvert Street, rallying against a possible sale of the newspaper to Koch Industries.
Headed by brothers David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch, the private company has emerged as a potential buyer in Tribune Co.'s possible sale of its newspapers, according to a New York Times report last month. The Kochs are known for their support of conservative and libertarian advocacy.
Similar protests have occurred outside other newspapers owned by Tribune, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. Tribune, which emerged from bankruptcy in December, hired two investment banks in February to manage offers to buy its newspapers. A Tribune spokesman said Tuesday the company does not comment on speculation.
A Koch spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. In a statement on its website, the company said it respects the journalistic independence of Tribune newspapers but does not comment on "deals or rumor of deals we may or may not be exploring."
The protesters came from groups such as Maryland Working Families, Progressive Maryland and other liberal groups. They held signs that called for preserving media neutrality. They also delivered a petition launched two weeks ago on MoveOn.org with 6,561 signatures opposed to a sale of The Sun to Koch.