Bulldog Reporter Bankruptcy Leaves Trail of Unpaid Journalists

An organization that coached public-relations professionals on how to master crisis communications may need to take some of its own advice after its recent bankruptcy filing.

Bulldog Reporter, an Oakland, Calif.-based company that provided training and services for public relations professionals, recently filed for bankruptcy protection in California with liabilities of less than $1 million and assets of $178,220.

Under the Bulldog Reporter and PR University brands, the company produced media directories, a daily online newsletter, webinars, live conferences and awards programs. Facing a severe cash shortage in August, the company laid off virtually all of its staff and shut down operations, filings show.

Despite bringing in nearly $950,000 in sales as of this August and $1.48 million in sales last year, the company hadn’t turned a profit since at least 2012, it said in court filings.

Jim Sinkinson, the publisher and founder of Bulldog Reporter owner Sirius Information, said in a bankruptcy court declaration that he brought in a turnaround specialist in October to explore ways to revive the company. That person, Mr. Sinkinson said, estimated he would need at least $50,000 in short-term funding, which “was not viable.” Reached Wednesday, Mr. Sinkinson declined to comment on the bankruptcy.

The company’s debts include more than $136,000 owed to Bank of America, $130,762 to Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts in Manhattan, $57,000 to PRNewswire and smaller amounts to former employees, law firms and others.  (See all the creditors in this filing)

Its creditor list also includes dozens of journalists and bloggers, most owed $100. Bankruptcy Beat caught up with a few people in that camp, each of whom said Bulldog Reporter recruited them to speak on webinars about topics like how to successfully pitch journalists or story trends on their beats. Each appearance came with a $100 “honorarium,” according to invitations sent to two of the reporters we spoke with. If the $100 couldn’t be accepted, Bulldog Reporter said it would donate the money to a charity of the journalist’s choosing.

Food writer Amy Sherman, who runs a cooking blog and writes articles for Epicurious, Food Network and others, said the company paid her for one webinar after a several-month delay but left her empty-handed on a second.

“They had pretty strong people speaking,” Ms. Sherman says of her experience on the panels, adding that she’s not too broken up about the loss of the $100.

Marketing consultant Robb High is a little more annoyed about the company’s disappearance. In an interview, Mr. High said he flew to Chicago at his own expense to conduct an in-person seminar for PR people on how to win new business, put on by Bulldog Reporter, and was never paid his cut of the profits. Mr. High said he’s already filed a $1,020 claim in the case, but isn’t holding out hope that he’ll see the money.

Despite Bulldog Reporter’s closure, there may be some money coming into the bankruptcy estate. Mr. Sinkinson said in the filings that he has an offer from a Canadian-based media intelligence company to buy its contracts, intellectual property, contact lists, software and other remaining assets for $135,000.

The signatory on the sale documents, which is subject to court approval, is Martin Lyster, the chief operations officer at MediaMiser, an Ontario company that says it helps “turn news into knowledge.” Mr. Lyster and a press rep for MediaMiser did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

Sirius Information got its start in 1979 publishing clinical medical journals, the company said in a court filing. It bought Bulldog Reporter in 1987.

Write to Sara Randazzo at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @sara_randazzo.