The Washington Post has placed a political reporter on administrative leave after she tweeted a link to a story about rape allegations against NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, who was killed on Sunday, 28 January, in a helicopter crash.
Dozens of journalists at the newspaper criticised the decision. WaPo’s Guild also issued a statement in support of the reporter, Felicia Sonmez.
Sonmez's tweet on Sunday, amid public mourning over Bryant's death in a helicopter crash, drew considerable backlash on social media.
The Post reported that Somnez received threats of death and rape and had to move to a hotel after her home address was published online.
Sonmez was put on leave after she posted a link to a 2016 Daily Beast article titled ‘Kobe Bryant’s Disturbing Rape Case: The DNA Evidence, the Accuser’s Story, and the Half-Confession’, detailing the rape allegations against the former LA Lakers player.
“National political reporter Felicia Sonmez was placed on administrative leave while The Post reviews whether tweets about the death of Kobe Bryant violated The Post newsroom’s social media policy. The tweets displayed poor judgment that undermined the work of her colleagues,” Managing Editor of Washington Post Tracy Grant said.
‘Any Public Figure Is Worth Remembering in Their Totality’
Sonmez’s tweet, which has now been deleted sparked huge outrage, with over 10,000 comments and emails with abuse and death threats.
Stressing that she was not connected with the article she tweeted, Sonmez said, “Any public figure is worth remembering in their totality even if that public figure is beloved and that totality unsettling.”
"That folks are responding with rage and threats toward me (someone who didn’t even write the piece but found it well-reported) speaks volumes about the pressure people come under to stay silent in these cases,” she further said, according to The Guardian.
Washington Post Guild Issues Statement Supporting Sonmez
The official Twitter account of Washington Post Guild in a statement supporting Sonmez, wrote, “ This is not the first time that The Post has sought to control how Felicia speaks on matters of sexual violence. Felicia herself is a survivor of assault who bravely came forward with her story two years ago. When articles attacking her were published in other outlets, The Post did not release a statement in support of one of its respected political reporters. Instead, management issued a warning letter against Felicia for violating The Post’s vague and inconsistently enforced social media guidelines.”
Erik Wemple, a media critic at The Washington Post said that all Sonmez did was share a good story from the Daily Beast.
He indicated in an email to Sonmez that The Post’s concerns with the tweets were that they didn’t “pertain” to the reporter’s “coverage area” and that her “behavior on social media is making it harder for others to do their work as Washington Post journalists.”
Sonmez, fearing for her safety following the online backlash, decided to check into a hotel on Sunday night.
Wemple primarily has two objections. He wrote, “One, if journalists at The Post are prone to suspension for tweeting stories off their beats, the entire newsroom should be on administrative leave.”
Secondly, he said that the claim that sharing a link to a news article complicates the work of others requires supporting evidence.
“I’m a little confused. If The Post is arguing that letting those survivors feel seen makes other colleagues jobs harder, I’d appreciate an explanation,” he added.
Wemple also asked Kristine Coratti, about the social media guidelines that Sonmez may have violated. To this, Coratti replied saying that the company was well within their judgement. However, the statement also said that the newspaper will be reviewing whether the tweets violated policies.
In 2003, Bryant was charged with attacking a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort. He had said the two had consensual sex. Prosecutors later dropped the felony sexual assault charge against Bryant at the request of the accuser, according to the Associated Press.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant died on Sunday when a helicopter he was riding in crashed and burst into flames in thick fog, killing all nine people on board including his teenage daughter and plunging the sports world into mourning.
Bryant, 41, was travelling with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when their Sikorsky S-76 helicopter slammed into a rugged hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles.
(With inputs from The Washington Post, The Guardian & Associated Press.)
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