U.S. Reporter Who Protested Iraq War Fired
Wed Apr 23, 9:30 PM ETSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A San Francisco Chronicle reporter suspended after being arrested at a rally opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq (news – web sites) lost his job on Wednesday, a spokesman for the newspaper said.
The Chronicle suspended technology reporter Henry Norr, 57, last month, after he was among more than 1,300 people arrested for blocking public streets the morning after the Iraq war started.
“He no longer works at the Chronicle, effective today,” spokesman Joe Brown (news) said on Wednesday.
Norr said he received a dismissal letter from the Chronicle citing his claim of a sick day to attend the anti-war protest as well as violations of the paper’s news code.
“I regret taking the sick day because it introduced a false issue,” Norr said. “I felt like this was a political attack and an attempt at retaliation and intimidation.”
Unlike many U.S. newspapers, the Chronicle does not bar its reporters from participating in political events, but a memo distributed internally by the paper last month advises its staff to be cautious and gain approval from superiors first.
The paper originally told Norr, who organized marches during the Vietnam War before becoming a journalist, that he was being suspended for wrongly claiming a sick day.
Norr said his union has filed grievances on his behalf and he would also make a complaint under California’s labor code.
Author: Ruby Sinreich
Oh, the places I’ll go…
Not so exciting, but I feel I should at least post about why I haven’t posted here in a week. (Gasp!)
I have been driving around New Jersey (last week) and Ohio (this week) in big American cars. Sometimes I stop somewhere and show some people how to do something. Here’s me in my Monte Carlo in Akron this morning (I’m in Dayton now):
Happy birthday, nc.indymedia.org
Check out some Hip Hop, Rock, & Newsreels for $7 to benefit and celebrate the N.C. Independent Media Center this Tuesday at Local 506.
On Tuesday, April 15, at 9:00 PM, the North Carolina Independent Media Center will be having its One Year Anniversary Bash! Join NC Indymedia for a night of music, movies, and celebration!
On April 11th, 2002 the North Carolina Independent Media Center opened its doors to the public at the Internationalist Bookstore in Chapel Hill. In its first year, it produced over a dozen short documentaries, nearly two hundred online news stories, and grew into a network with working groups now in Wilmington and Greensboro. For our first year’s anniversary, we decided to have a party.
There will be various Indymedia movies along with local DJs, Hip Hop, and Rock & Roll bands. There are a total of six acts billed and several short videos, so get there early. The event will be at Chapel Hill’s Local 506
at 506 W. Franklin Street. Admission will be seven bucks and all proceeds will go to benefit the North Carolina Independent Media Center. Support
your local music scene and support local independent media.Scheduled to appear are the following:
Kevin Hill;
DJ Chela;
The Sleepies;
Brother Reade;
DJ One Duran;
Common Ground;
Other Acts TBA
The North Carolina Independent Media Center (NC-IMC) is a non-profit collective of North Carolina independent media makers and media outlets, and serves as the local organizing unit of the global Indymedia network.
It’s all relative
Unless you really like New Jersey, you probably wouldn’t like the hotel I’m in now or the one I’m going to tomorrow, either. But it’s clear that a whole lot of people do like it, or why else would so many people live here? I don’t even think all of them are crazy.
The Paramount
Unless you really like neon, you probably wouldn’t enjoy this hotel where I’m staying in New York.
Attack of the 800-pound Chancellor
In an alarming turn of events, University administrators reneg on a previous agreement with the Town over the widening of South Columbia Street. I’m shocked. Why, if this kind of thing happened all the time, it would erode the community’s trust in the University, and render pointless our copious negotiating and planning together for the future.
Oh wait. Damn.
The Daily Show
Even if you think the Comedy Channel’s programming caters to the lowest common denominator of 14-year-old middle class white male culture (which it does), you gotta give some credit to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for trying to make the audience think for a few minutes while they’re cracking up. It’s often the only time I laugh all day, so it has become an important part of my going-to-bed routine. Coming up this week (I don’t know which day) they will be featuring coverage of Carrboro‘s declaration making April French Trade Month, including an interview with my friend Mark.
Fun with digits
I know I’m a dork, but the U.S. Census’ State and Quickfacts is so cool! You can look at a state’s stats compared to the nation, and any county compared to it’s state. For example, here’s my home – Orange County, NC.
77%
MIA: American news media
Sometimes Ted Rall is an obnoxious jerk, but he really nailed it today:
MISSING: Approximately 600 American “Journalists”
Last seen in the company of armed men wearing fatigues in and around Iraq on about 3-19-03.
Their captors have confiscated their satellite and cell phones.
“Have You Seen Me?” [composite journo]
Sporadic statements indicate the victims sympathize with men holding them – “stockholm syndrome” feared.
No actual news reports have been filed so far.