‘National Embarrassment’: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Under Fire After 2 Black Journalists Say They Were Barred From Protest Coverage

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh has laid down a list of demands after a black Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist says she was barred from protest coverage because of a viral “thought provoking” tweet the newspaper told her was biased.

Alexis Johnson’s tweet from last weekend reads: “Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTERS who don’t care about this city!!!!! …. oh wait sorry. No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney concert tailgate. Whoops.”

Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTERS who don’t care about this city!!!!!

…. oh wait sorry. No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney concert tailgate. Whoops. pic.twitter.com/lKRNrBsltU

— Alexis Johnson (@alexisjreports) May 31, 2020

The guild held a press conference Monday morning to address the situation, which is gaining national attention and coverage.

Guild president Michael Fuoco called it a “national embarrassment” and said the public has sent over 3,000 letters to the newspaper’s management in the last 24 hours. Public leaders like Lt. Gov. John Fetterman have also shown solidarity with Johnson.

I stand with the Guild: The PG immediately apologize to + reinstate @alexisjreports . https://t.co/eIsMqlwImd

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) June 4, 2020

The morning after Johnson’s tweet, she says she pitched four stories related to the protest to her editor and was told to hold off. She says she wasn’t talked to until the end of her shift.

Johnson says she was told her tweet violated the social media policy, but says there is no policy, only guidelines.

The union president says he has no idea what the newspaper is doing or what the end goal is with this situation. Over 3,000 letters from the public were sent to the paper’s management in the last 24 hours to allow the journalists to do their job. @KDKA

— Nicole Ford (@NicoleFordTV) June 8, 2020

“As a black woman, as a Pittsburgh native, as the daughter of a retired state trooper and a retired probation officer, it was a shame I wasn’t able to bring my background to cover this story and it’s a shame those stories won’t be told,” she said at a press conference Monday morning.

Pulitzer prize winning photojournalist Michael Santiago says he was also pulled from protest coverage, but says management has yet to give him a reason.

#DEVELOPING Michael Santiago is a photojournalist for the Post Gazette who says he was pulled from the protest coverage. He says he has yet to hear a reason why from the paper management. He says only he and Johnson behind him in the photo were taken off the coverage. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/gUtjFSUPJV

— Nicole Ford (@NicoleFordTV) June 8, 2020

The guild is calling on Post-Gazette management to issue an apology, remove the ban on Johnson and Santiago, stop retaliating against their supporters and to get back to ethical journalism.

“The Post-Gazette is on the wrong side of history. We’re on the right side of history,” Fuoco says.

“None of us should be here today,” Johnson said to press members Monday. “We should be covering one of the pivotal moments in history.”

Alexis Johnson: “None of us should be here today, we should be covering one of the pivotal moments in history.” She says there is no set social media policy; only guidelines. She says she is hurt by the situation and treatment by the Post Gazette. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/0RUDINGHHU

— Nicole Ford (@NicoleFordTV) June 8, 2020

KDKA’s Nicole Ford will have the latest from the press conference and a response from the Post-Gazette beginning at 4 p.m.