PROTESTERS RALLY TO SUPPORT SUSPENDED COLUMNIST

By: Lucia Moses PROTESTERS RALLY TO SUPPORT SUSPENDED COLUMNIST

Boston Herald Criticized For Treatment Of Robin Washington



An estimated 50 people rallied outside the Boston Herald
building Tuesday to call for the reinstatement of the paper's consumer
columnist, Robin Washington, who was suspended without pay Sunday after
he clashed with editors over his coverage of a Herald
advertiser.



Washington, 43, had contended his editors killed potential follow-up
stories about FleetBoston, then told him to stop writing about the bank
altogether. FleetBoston became the nation's eighth-largest bank after
the merger of Fleet Bank and BankBoston, and could be a lender for the
newspaper's planned press purchase. Washington had written about
customer complaints over planned fee increases at the merged
institution.



The Tuesday rally was organized by the Boston Association of Black
Journalists (the National Association of Black Journalists' Boston
chapter), which Washington serves as president. Protesters also voiced
concerns about censorship and lack of diversity at the Herald.
Washington is the paper's only black news reporter.



Two community leaders - Leonard Alkins, president of the Boston branch
of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and
Minister Don Muhammad of Boston's Nation of Islam affiliate - met with
Herald Publisher Patrick J. Purcell during the rally. Muhammad
and Alkins said Purcell agreed to reconsider Washington's suspension
without pay and return with a decision by the end of the week.



'For Mr. Washington to be suspended without pay pending an
investigation seems to be cruel, and going too far,' Alkins said,
adding he felt 'good' about the meeting. 'I feel there is a willingness
to sit down and figure it out.'



Purcell was in a meeting with top management Tuesday afternoon and
couldn't be reached for comment.



Meanwhile, The Newspaper Guild of Greater Boston, the Herald's
editorial union, is appealing Washington's suspension. Tom Mashburg,
editorial shop steward, said the Guild believes the suspension violated
its contract, but declined to be specific. 'Indefinite suspension
without pay is an extraordinary penalty that imposes severe financial
hardship on a Guild member,' the Guild said in a statement.



The paper has declined to say why Washington was suspended, saying the
issue is an internal disciplinary matter. But Washington spoke openly
about his disagreement with management, and the union contract states
that employees are free to engage in activities outside of work,
provided they are not 'in conflict with or detrimental to the interests
of the publisher.'



Last week, the Guild sponsored a petition condemning 'the unethical
influence of advertisers and business interests' over the paper's
handling of the merger coverage. The petition was signed by about 70
editorial staffers out of 230 full-time newsroom staffers and delivered
to Purcell, who maintained that the paper has aggressively reported the
story.



Washington has worked as a journalist for 23 years. He was managing
editor of the Boston-based Bay State Banner, a weekly black-

interest newspaper, and has produced news and documentaries for radio
and TV. He came to the Herald four years ago.



Related stories:

BOSTON HERALD STAFFER SUSPENDED (05/01/00)



GUILD CLAIMS CENSORSHIP AT BOSTON HERALD (04/27/00)