Ever since Sam Zell took over the LA Times, mutiny's been in the air. First, those pesky staffers filed a lawsuit against their employer, who they claim is a huckster who is bilking the company out of millions, tax-free. Now, the new editor in charge, Eddy Hartenstein, is calling it treason for his staff to talk to blogs or other media sources. Because if there is one thing a newspaper shouldn't stand for, it is the truth from legitimate sources!

More crazy Yakov Smirnoff/ Orwellianisms from a LA Times watchdog blog after the jump:

And yet, solid sources have let me know that current Times leadership is unhappy enough (or paranoid enough) about stuff getting out to consider action against staffers. I don't know if Hartenstein is thin-skinned enough to retaliate — especially given Sam Zell's famously relaxed rule book — but he is throwing around the t-word. So take precautions — use your personal email, our PO box, or pick up the phone — and don't presume they aren't watching.

So Sam Zell has a "famously relaxed" policy when it comes to staffers opening their yap-traps (and even if he didn't, what could he do? They already have a lawsuit against the guy), but the new editor is calling it treason? Oh, the paradoxes! Off with their heads, everyone's heads!