By: Lucia Moses Washington Gets Two-Week Suspension
The Boston Herald will reinstate suspended columnist Robin
Washington, who was suspended without pay April 30 after he publicly
accused his editors of censoring his coverage of a controversial story
involving a Herald advertiser.
Washington will return May 14 following a two-week suspension without
pay. He will return to his consumer and transportation column, from
which he was reassigned April 23.
Herald management wouldn't comment further. Washington issued a
statement saying he has been assured he will be able to report his
column without limitation.
The Newspaper Guild of Greater Boston, the Herald's editorial
union, said it will proceed with litigation of the suspension, which it
believes violated the contract.
The decision May 5 followed a community outcry over the suspension.
The matter drew attention to questions about whether Boston-based giant
FleetBoston has received favorable treatment from local news media. It
also renewed criticism of the Herald's diversity, since
Washington is the tabloid's only black reporter.
FleetBoston became the nation's eighth-largest bank following the
merger of Fleet Financial and BankBoston, and could be a lender on the
paper's planned press purchase. Washington, 43, a journalist of 23
years, had written about the merger and customer complaints over
planned fee increases, and contended his editors killed potential
follow-up stories, then told him to stop writing about the bank
altogether.
The Boston Globe also came under fire because it had rejected a
$25,000 ad from the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
(NACA) that was critical of Fleet, citing concerns about the ad's
accuracy.
The Herald controversy peaked May 2 when some 50 people rallied
outside the paper's building to call on the paper to bring back
Washington. Two community leaders said they met with Herald
Publisher Patrick J. Purcell, who said them he would reconsider
Washington's treatment.
The paper has commented little on the controversy, except to defend its
coverage as aggressive and say that the suspension was an internal
disciplinary matter.
Related stories:
PROTESTERS RALLY TO SUPPORT SUSPENDED COLUMNIST
(05/02/00)
BOSTON HERALD STAFFER SUSPENDED (05/01/00)
GUILD CLAIMS CENSORSHIP AT BOSTON HERALD (04/27/00)
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