For more than 11 years, Karen Attiah was one of the most influential columnists on the staff of The Washington Post. Her dismissal grew from her strident criticism of political violence and the double-standard of race politics. She spoke to America’s indifference to gun violence. This decision has sparked important conversations about proposed journalistic integrity and the disenfranchisement of diverse voices in media.
Attiah, writing about the experience for her Substack, pictured above, recalled the fraught closed door meeting with her then boss Adam O’Neal. In the memo sent on July 14, O’Neal emphasized his commitment to enhancing the reach and impact of the publication’s work. Attiah had previously made waves for her comments on political issues. In particular, her comments about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk appear to have been pivotal in her firing.
In her Substack post, Attiah highlighted Kirk’s controversial statement about Black women, asserting that they lack the “brain processing power” to be taken seriously. Her only direct shot at Kirk actually was a shot, and it came from him. Therefore, she thought that these words needed to be talked about, particularly in terms of social bias against race and gender.
“My only direct reference to Kirk was one post – his own words on record,” – Karen Attiah
Though she was ultimately trying to push this important agenda, Attiah said she had experienced consequences for her opinions. She expressed frustration at the speed of her dismissal, stating, “They rushed to fire me without even a conversation. This was not only a hasty overreach, but a violation of the very standards of journalistic fairness and rigor the Post claims to uphold.”
The decision to terminate Attiah’s contract occurred shortly after the Status media newsletter reported that she had declined a buyout offer. Her dismissal casts a pall over the editorial vision that The Washington Post seems to be pursuing under O’Neal’s leadership. In the same memo announcing his publication goals, O’Neal pointed to a third purpose—advocating for free markets and personal liberties. He argues that this kind of thinking is more important than ever for restoring trust with the American people.
“Advocating for free markets and personal liberties will be critical as we rebuild trust with more Americans and scale our high-quality journalism,” – Adam O’Neal (via memo)
Attiah’s experience has become an all too familiar occurrence in the media landscape when it comes to how Black voices are treated. She characterized her firing as part of a “broader purge of Black voices from academia, business, government, and media – a historical pattern as dangerous as it is shameful – and tragic.” Her sentiments are echoed across a slew of recent instances in which media members have been punished for speaking out against the grain.
In a different but comparable world, Matthew Dowd—MSNBC political analyst—should have been fired. He specifically singled out Charlie Kirk as a “divisive” figure who spreads “hate speech.” Dowd would go on to say that what he said was misinterpreted. He explained the network’s backtrack as a capitulation to the demands of a “rightwing media mob.”
Experts have repeatedly warned about the chilling effects of such actions on free discourse and on the public’s understanding of the world. They continue by emphasizing the lifesaving impact that mRNA vaccines have had during the Covid-19 pandemic. They further decry attempts to stifle dissenting opinions in matters of scientific debate. The combination of politics, media portrayal, and public health has made the landscape particularly tricky. Diverse viewpoints help ensure a complete examination.
Attiah’s experience speaks to a widespread fear among journalists about the loss of editorial independence and the repercussions of reporting on injustice. Conversations around how to balance new operational aims with traditional tenets of journalistic ethics are still in progress. These issues that media professionals were dealing with are still real, pressing concerns today.