Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Reinstated WaPo Reporter Demands Public Explanation

The Washington Post reporter who was reinstated after being suspended for her tweets that were made in the wake of NBA legend Kobe Bryant's sudden passing is now calling on the paper's editor to publicly explain why she was punished to begin with, Fox News reports.

Washington Post Managing Editor Tracy Grant issued a statement on Tuesday addressing the controversy surrounding political reporter Felicia Sonmez, whom critics slammed for sharing a report about the sexual assault allegation against Bryant as the news of his tragic death was still breaking on Sunday.

"After conducting an internal review, we have determined that, while we consider Felicia's tweets ill-timed, she was not in clear and direct violation of our social media policy," Grant said. "Reporters on social media represent The Washington Post, and our policy states 'we must be ever mindful of preserving the reputation of The Washington Post for journalistic excellence, fairness, and independence.' We consistently urge restraint, which is particularly important when there are tragic deaths. We regret having spoken publicly about a personnel matter."

Now, Sonmez is defiantly calling on Executive Editor Marty Baron to explain what went on behind the paper's handling of the controversy.


"My suspension, and Mr. Baron’s Jan. 26 email warning me that my tweets about a matter of public record were 'hurting this institution,' have unfortunately sown confusion about the depth of management’s commitment to this goal," she continued.

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