Former Beacon Journal executive editor Al Fitzpatrick has written a letter headlined:
BJ changes raise new question of color
The letter, published in the Voice of the People Section on page A8 on Wednesday, states that he finds it "quite interesting that the new new owners of the Beacon Journal have managed to eliminate the three top minority executives within less than a year since they purchased the paper. "
The letter is reprinted in the Commentary section of the BJ retirees web site. Click on the headline to read the letter.
I believe that Yuvonne Bruce raised this question when the Canadian made his first appearance before the BJ newsroom staff. The answer, I believe, was rather innocuous. Ironically, the speaker's name was Black. But not so much the BJ's executives any more. The color that the Canadian respects most is green. So John Knight is spinning at 3,672 revolutions per minute. That apparently has become irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note: these jobs have now been filled from within by folks who have been at the BJ for along time...veterans...finally top jobs filled from within after 25 years of "carpetbagger" sent in by Ton Ridder's crew. For the last 25 years or so that's how those jobs have been filled. And look at the condition of the BJ today. The people from outside filling those jobs had no local ties, coming from outside the community and local news began to suffer..long time reporters with ties, interests and links to people who fed them tips were taken of the streets, reassigned because somebody thought they'd compromise folks on their beats.
ReplyDeleteand how many very qualified people, women and other minorities said they couldn't count on a promotion at the BJ and moved on to places where they could advance. Mr. Fitzpatrick was one of the last "insiders" promoted to top jobs.
I retired early beause of this carpetbagger policy. When the Managing editor at the time said my remark about not promotion from within he said he wanted to talk to me about that (of couse he was one of those Ridder stars) I came in earlier than usual three days in the row, but he managed to be elsewhere and never did get back to me. And his forte? arm chair quarterbacking,best in the business. I could never get a yes or no out of him.
And those minority folks who moved on? Check around, you'll find many went on the top jobs on other papers and in other fields.
It doesn't take much to keep the racial pot boiling... just a thoughtless remark here and there.
Hopefully such remarks and "observations" will be few and far ln-between in the future. I hope so, for the sake of the future of my grandaughter. Her mother is a lovely African-American.