You might not. It was a whole six weeks ago, and our moral, ethical, and intellectual betters in the news business didn’t make a big deal of it because it reflected badly on Democrats and the media (PTR). His name is David Chalian, and he said this into a live microphone on an ABC News live feed, in his capacity as the Washington bureau chief for Yahoo News:
Yahoo fired him for it, quicker than you can say “racebaiting hack.” But don’t worry. There’s still a place for him in journalism.
Well, almost.
David Chalian is getting back in the business.
The veteran journalist has been named vice president of video programming at Politico to enhance video quality and content across new and existing platforms…
Chalian had been the Washington bureau chief at Yahoo News but was fired two months ago after he was caught on an open mic at this year’s Republican National Convention saying that convention officials were “happy to have a party with black people drowning…”
Politico Editor-in-Chief John Harris said management took Chalian’s remark into consideration prior to hiring him.
“David screwed up, admitted he screwed up and paid the price of losing his job for screwing up. He certainly would have been held accountable for the lapse in judgment had he been on the Politico staff at the time,” Harris told Politico. “He’s made clear that remark did not reflect his personal views or professional standards. This is a journalist who carries with him more than a decade of accomplishment and a well-earned reputation for fairness. We do not believe that lapse in one moment negates a reputation held in high regard by political professionals in both parties.”
Translation: “What’s the big deal? Just because he said it and it’s on tape, that doesn’t mean it’s any sort of reflection on him as a person or as a professional. Relax, it’s not like he insulted Obama.”
The only way Chalian “screwed up” was by saying what all his colleagues, past and present, were thinking. Now that he’s gone through the formality of being fired by one liberal “news” outlet, it’s safe for another liberal “news” outlet to pick him up.
As long as you hold the liberal-left line, there’ll always be a place for you in “journalism.”
(Hat tip: RedState)