Following Kobe Bryant's death, Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez shared a link on Twitter to a 2016 Daily Beast article detailing a past sexual assault allegation against Bryant. This action prompted Executive Editor Martin Baron to suspend Sonmez, citing a "lack of judgment".
The Post's decision to suspend Sonmez was met with immediate backlash. Over 200 Post journalists criticized the paper's handling of the situation. Baron's email to Sonmez, expressing concern about the impact of her tweet on the institution, was shared with The New York Times.
The incident sparked a debate about journalistic ethics, social media usage by journalists, and freedom of expression in the workplace. The significant internal opposition within the Washington Post itself highlights the sensitivity surrounding the issue and the varied perspectives on the role of a journalist in reporting on sensitive matters, particularly within the context of social media.
The Washington Post suspended one of its reporters, Felicia Sonmez, after she posted tweets on Sunday about Kobe Bryant in the hours after his death. Over 200 Post journalists criticized the paper’s decision on Monday.
Ms. Sonmez on Sunday posted a link on Twitter to a 2016 Daily Beast article that detailed an allegation of sexual assault made against Mr. Bryant in 2003. Her tweet appeared amid a flood of public tributes to the retired Los Angeles Lakers star, who died earlier that day in a helicopter crash at age 41.
Ms. Sonmez received an email from The Post’s executive editor, Martin Baron, at 5:38 p.m., before she was told that she would be placed on leave. The reporter shared the three-sentence email with The New York Times.
“Felicia,” Mr. Baron wrote. “A real lack of judgment to tweet this. Please stop. You’re hurting this institution by doing this.”
The text of Mr. Baron’s email was attached to a screen shot of Ms. Sonmez’s tweet linking to the Daily Beast article. A spokeswoman for The Post and Mr. Baron did not reply to requests for comment on the email.
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