The Tribune scored a massive scoop Friday morning when it announced to web site visitors that a new car company named Toyoto would be advertising inside Wrigley Field. The signage in question currently belongs to Toyota, but the Tribune found out the company was merging with Volvo to form “Toyoto.”
Tribune management bristled at the suggestion Toyoto was perhaps a typo, brought about by overworking its severely reduced editorial staff.
“For more than 160 years the Tribune has delivered accuracy and integrity to its readers,” said sports editor Mike Kellams. “We would never produce a typo like that. Maybe at the Sun-Times, but never at the Tribune, especially now that we’ve hired all their sports staffers.”
Hours later, the Tribune changed the headline to read “Toyota,” rather than Toyoto.
“We received good word that the merger between Toyota and Volvo is off,” said Kellams. “It’s as simple as that.”
