Philadelphia Newspaper's Owners at War When a group of wealthy, politically connected local businessmen bought The Philadelphia Inquirer in April 2012, there were concerns that they would use its influence to further their own interests, ruining what was left of a once remarkable American newspaper. Philadelphia Inquirer William K. Marimow was fired last week as the editor in chief of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Then they rehired William K. Marimow, a former Inquirer reporter who has won two Pulitzer Prizes, as editor in chief. Mr. Marimow had served as the newspaper's editor until he was dismissed in 2010 by one of an ever-changing roster of owners. He has an excellent reputation as a defender of newsroom integrity and the new owners appeared serious about maintaining the journalistic rigor of the enterprise. But the promise of an ownership group with deep pockets and an agenda driven by civic purpose collapsed in an unsightly heap last week. Mr. Marimow was fired, and a raucous war among the owners broke out into full view. Two of them, Lewis Katz, the former owner of the New Jersey Nets, and H. F. Lenfest, a former cable TV mogul, filed suit against the newspaper, as well as its publisher, Robert J. Hall, claiming that Mr. Marimow's firing was a breach of contract. They and Mr. Marimow claim he was dismissed at the behest of their partner George E. Norcross III, a businessman and power broker in Democratic politics, as part of a pattern of interference. While the battle may seem like one more bit of denouement for an industry on the wane, it is less a business story than a fight for the soul of not just an institution, but of a city as well. Philadelphia deserves better. Soon after the purchase, Mr. Norcross quickly became involved in every aspect of the operation, down to choosing vendors for coffee and copy machines, according to several employees, who declined to be identified because they have been told not to speak to reporters. Among other changes, Mr. Marimow was instructed to reduce the opinion section, based on research commissioned by Mr. Norcross. Working through the publisher, Mr. Hall, Mr. Norcross installed his 25-year-old daughter, Alessandra, to run the Web site, Philly.com, even though she had no experience as a media executive. When it was not publishing link bait - last Thursday, there were prominent articles about drunk-dialing members of Congress and the pornographic career of New Jersey's "tanning mom" - the site began competing with The Inquirer and its sister tabloid The Daily News, creating a civil war within a struggling organization that could ill afford the duplication. Under Ms. Norcross, Philly.com began giving Tom Corbett, the Republican governor of Pennsylvania who is running for re-election, space to write in its "New Voices" section. The move was seen as an attempt to curry favor while initially offering no equal time to his opponents. In a phone interview on Friday, Mr. Norcross said that he had "zero" involvement in news matters, and that the other owners" effort to prevent Mr. Marimow's dismissal violates a pledge they took to stay out of the editorial side of the business. In the interview, Mr. Norcross decided to take the business dispute and make it personal, pointing out that Nancy Phillips, Mr. Katz's longtime companion - and a respected longtime editor and reporter at The Inquirer - is the city editor and an ally of Mr. Marimow's. "He tried to cut a deal with me where he said I could control all of the other aspects of the enterprise and he would be in charge of the Inquirer newsroom," Mr. Norcross said. I have worked my tail off to grow the enterprise and the only thing that he cares about is his girlfriend and protecting Marimow. He wants to control the newsroom to satisfy his friends and punish his enemies. Mr. Katz said it was ludicrous to suggest that his and Mr. Lenfest's backing of Mr. Marimow was anything more than a fight for journalistic independence and integrity. "I don't want to live in the mud, so I won't respond or throw mud at George," he said in a phone interview. The court will decide whether the partnership agreements have been violated or not and make whatever decision is appropriate. So now it has come to this: Rich guys warring over an asset that shrinks every day.