NEW: @PGNewsGuild has informed me the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has removed @alexisjreports, a Black reporter, from #BlackLivesMatter protest coverage because of a viral tweet she sent out poking fun at trash that's usually left at Kenny Chesney concerts pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pit…
Guild demanding Johnson be reinstated to coverage. @michaelafuoco says “The fact that the company thinks her tweeting disqualifies her is disingenuous. She has more understanding about it being a Black woman than other white reporters and photographers" pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pit…
Here is the tweet in question. And, imo, this tweet rules, and Johnson has been doing some amazing reporting recently and providing Pittsburgh with incredible community resources about Black businesses in our area.
Here is @alexisjreports comprehensive list of Black-owned businesses in Pittsburgh. She has been updating it constantly with COVID-related information. This is a true community resource. If you are not following her already, please do. post-gazette.com/life/dining/20…
Not only is her reporting valuable, it is incredibly popular. Imaging telling a reporter to not cover a beat she understands better than most, especially when her coverage is incredibly well read.
If this wasn't already clear. Johnson was not fired. She was just removed from covering protests related to the death of George Floyd
Want to add, reporters at the Post-Gazette are top notch, and need your support. We need to keep reading their stories. I get the impulse to stop reading or canceling subscriptions, but that won't help @alexisjreports. Support @PGNewsGuild and help them get a new contract instead
And if you aren’t aware of what reporters at the P-G have been up against, here is my story from last year outlining how ownership appears to be trying to bust the paper’s union. pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/rec…
