Washington Publish staffers mentioned the chaos sparked by Twitter battles between Felicia Sonmez and different reporters over the suspension of Dave Weigel was a “clusterf–ok” that has been made worse by her “pouring gasoline on the hearth and alluring individuals to observe.”
The feedback got here a day earlier than the Jeff Bezos-owned broadsheet apparently had sufficient of Sonmez’s tweetstorms and reportedly fired her.
In current days, Sonmez, who lately misplaced a discrimination lawsuit that she filed in opposition to her newspaper, has defied administration’s edict to rein in her Twitter assaults on colleagues.
On Thursday — hours earlier than experiences surfaced of that the paper had canned her — she slammed reporters for “downplaying the Publish’s office points” after they praising the “collegial” ambiance within the newsroom.
Sonmez famous that the reporters who “issued synchronized tweets … are all white” and are “among the many highest-paid staff within the newsroom, making double and even triple what another Nationwide desk reporters are making, notably journalists of shade.”
She added: “They're among the many ‘stars’ who ‘get away with homicide’ on social media.”
Sonmez on Thursday additionally accused the newspaper’s editors of “punishing reporters for his or her trauma” and of “discouraging them from looking for assist they want.”
The New York Publish has reached out to the Washington Publish looking for remark.
Sonmez was reacting to an electronic mail from Matea Gold, the Washington Publish’s nationwide editor, who final month urged staffers to “take time to evaluate how you might be doing” and “search assist if you have to discuss to somebody” following the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas.
Self-importance Truthful reported on Wednesday that Sonmez despatched a “reply all” electronic mail to staffers on the newspaper saying that she was “punished [in 2018] after I advised an editor that I needed to take a stroll across the block after studying a tough story.”
“I care deeply about my colleagues, and I would like this establishment to offer help for all staff,” Sonmez tweeted.
“Proper now, the Publish is a spot the place many people worry our trauma can be used in opposition to us, based mostly on the corporate’s previous actions.”
Washington Publish staffers anonymously quoted by Self-importance Truthful mentioned they're disturbed by Sonmez’s continued tweeting.
“Working at an enormous information group — the Publish, the New York Occasions, CNN — is like residing in a giant metropolis the place there are at all times emergencies,” one staffer mentioned.
“As a colleague, you in all probability ought to be making an attempt to assist fund the hearth division or metropolis providers and make it a greater place to stay; at worst, you’re not paying your taxes,” they continued.
“After which you might have Felicia, who is actually pouring gasoline on each hearth and alluring individuals to observe.”
Sally Buzbee, the manager editor of the newspaper, has remained silent on Sonmez’s continued Twitter rants regardless of issuing a memo on Tuesday reminding staffers to be respectful of one another on social media.
“We don't tolerate colleagues attacking colleagues both nose to nose or on-line. Respect for others is essential to any civil society, together with our newsroom,” she wrote. “The newsroom social media coverage factors particularly to the necessity for collegiality.”
“Within the final 12 months, we've got enforced, via conversations, mediation and disciplinary measures, egregious violations of our social media coverage, simply as we've got enforced our total requirements,” Buzbee added.
“As we've got mentioned, we plan to replace the social media coverage. Till then, the present coverage stays in impact. It states: Relating to your colleagues, be constructive and collegial: When you have a query or concern about one thing that has been revealed, converse to your colleague immediately.”
Buzbee added: “We respect and don't want to inhibit any worker’s proper to lift professional office points.”
“We all know it takes bravery to name out issues. And we pledge to brazenly and truthfully handle issues delivered to us.”
“We moved shortly to point out our intolerance for a sexist re-tweet despatched by an worker final Friday.”
Buzbee’s memo adopted a missive she issued over final weekend because the Twitter storm brewed.
She wrote: “We're a collegial and artistic newsroom doing an astonishing quantity of vital and groundbreaking journalism. One of many nice strengths of our newsroom is our collaborative spirit.”
After the second memo, a number of the paper’s most distinguished journalists chimed in to calm the boiling tempers on the Jeff Bezos-owned broadsheet. Their tweets included practically an identical language professing how “proud” they're to work on the newspaper and the “collegial” perspective within the newsroom.
Ashley Parker, the White Home bureau chief, tweeted: “The Publish shouldn't be good. No establishment is. However I’m proud to work right here. I like coming to work (virtually) each single day, and understanding that my colleagues are collegial, collaborative and the enjoyable people — to not point out proficient journalists — who're at all times striving to do higher.”
Investigative political reporter Josh Dawsey tweeted, “no establishment is ideal, together with the publish. however the place is stuffed with many terrific people who find themselves sensible and collegial. i’m proud to work right here.”
And Amy Gardner, a political reporter, wrote: “The Washington Publish newsroom is stuffed with collegial, collaborative and respectful journalists who do critically vital work every single day. I’m immensely proud to work right here.”
Sonmez shortly mocked the concept her place of business was “collegial” — citing posts by Jose Del Actual and Lisa Rein, two different reporters, who criticized her for her tweetstorm.
The controversy was ignited final week by Sonmez’s anger over Weigel’s retweet of a joke that she deemed sexist.
“Each lady is bi. You simply have to determine if it’s polar or sexual,” learn the unique tweet by YouTuber Cam Harless.
After Sonmez confronted Weigel on the corporate’s inner Slack, she then posted to Twitter: “Unbelievable to work at a information outlet the place retweets like this are allowed!”
Weigel, 40, responded by deleting the retweet and apologizing.
“I simply eliminated a retweet of an offensive joke. I apologize and didn't imply to trigger any hurt,” he tweeted.
Del Actual, a options author for the newspaper, took challenge with Sonmez’s public criticism of Weigel.
Del Actual acknowledged that Weigel’s retweet was “horrible and unacceptable,” although he additionally criticized Sonmez for “rallying the web to assault him for a mistake he made.”
He mentioned Sonmez’s tactic “doesn’t resolve something.”
He tweeted: “Felicia, all of us mess up every so often.”
“Partaking in repeated and focused public harassment of a colleague is neither an excellent look neither is it notably efficient. It turns the language of inclusivity into clout chasing and bullying. I don’t suppose that is applicable…There may be such a factor as difficult with compassion.”
When Sonmez slammed Del Actual and others, Rein, who covers the federal authorities for the Publish, responded by tweeting: “Please cease.”
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