The Associated Press staff published an open letter about the fate of Emily Wilder, who was fired from her job after the surfacing of anti-Israel comments that she made in college.
She was fired after the Stanford College Republicans pointed out Wilder’s pro-Palestine activism in college and the comments that she had made, such as calling the late Sheldon Adelson — a billionaire donor to GOP interests and to Israel — a “naked mole rat.”
Wilder said she was told Thursday she was being terminated from her position for violating the AP’s social media policy, but had been told earlier in the week that the outlet was not planning to terminate her. Wilder said that when she asked to see the specific policy that she violated, the AP told her “no.” (RELATED: Associated Press Redefines Gender In Latest Stylebook Update)
In the open letter, the staff demanded more transparency from the organization regarding Wilder’s firing and also expressed concern “about the ramifications of this decision for newsroom morale and AP’s credibility.”
A statement from @AP staff:
We love the AP. We also want it to change.
We hope the institution that we serve with bravery and tenacity every day will join us in charting a more equitable future.https://t.co/sOAGMGdcfY
— Kat Stafford (@kat__stafford) May 24, 2021
“Wilder was a young journalist, unnecessarily harmed by the AP’s handling and announcement of its firing of her,” the letter said. “We need to know that the AP would stand behind and provide resources to journalists who are the subject of smear campaigns and online harassment. As journalists who cover contentious subjects, we are often the target of people unhappy with scrutiny.”
“Interest groups are celebrating their victory and turning their sights on more AP journalists,” it continued. “They have routinely made journalists’ identities subject to attack. Once we decide to play this game on the terms of those acting in bad faith, we can’t win.” (RELATED: Israeli Airstrike Demolishes Gaza Building That Held Al Jazeera, Associated Press Offices)
The employees said that Wilder’s firing has caused the public to question the credibility of the AP’s reporting on the Middle East, harming their reporters based in Israel and Gaza.
The AP employees asked for several things, including “clarity about the disciplinary process used for Wilder,” “a forum to discuss what AP deems best social media practices for its journalists,” “a clear commitment to and playbook for supporting staff targeted by harassment campaigns” and “the formation of a diverse committee to update the AP’s social media policy to support evidence-based, nuanced social posting.”