As all of you know, this is an incredibly challenging and difficult moment in our history. Every day we see the very serious issues facing our cities, our state, and the world at large.
We at the INDY have faced our own significant internal challenges over the past couple of weeks. This weekend, we confronted serious questions about our journalism: We had failed to pursue a significant news tip last year. Then, yesterday, after many difficult discussions with staff, I concluded I needed to ask our editor to leave.
Some in the community have questioned if money was tied to the story not being investigated. I assure you that is not true. The wall between our editorial and sales departments remains firm.
Our staff is committed to the INDY, to the Triangle, and to essential values. So while this has been seriously uncomfortable for all of us, it is my hope we can come through this stronger — especially when we all believe so fervently that our journalism has never been more important here.
For now, as we search for new editorial leadership, Brian Howe will serve as the INDY’s editor. Please be patient with us, but continue to push us always to be better.
Thank you,
Susan Harper
Publisher
It’s good that Billman is gone. In my experience, the Bida Manda victims of the employer’s discrimination are better off that Indy Weekly didn’t do a write-up. When Billman wrote a story about discrimination I suffered at the Social Security Administration, he pathologized me. He asked a completely inappropriate rhetorical question (“Could a shitty lawyer pull that off?”), and his story repeatedly insinuated that’s what I was dspite the Court of Appeals’ finding that I was not a poor performer. I felt like his was a hit piece. Instead of an article about how a federal employer discriminated against a severely disabled veteran who ultimately prevailed, he wrote a story about how a seriously fucked-up war veteran somehow managed to sue his employer for nine years and pull out a win. Billman’s story was very hurtful, and I was not the only one who noted its grotesqueness. But I wish Billman luck in the unemployment line: Getting sacked is a real bitch.
I’m a big fan of IndyWeek and a supporter, and I’m glad that the publication is doing what sounds like the right thing. The question on my mind is, what is the story that wasn’t pursued? Apparently some folks already know, but for transparency sake I think IndyWeek should be a bit clearer. There’s a lot of room for rumors to flourish with this sort of vague gesture at the topic without naming it.
The Revolution eats its own. 1