The Santa Barbara News-Press says it has fired the staffer who altered a young reporter’s byline to make a gay slur.
“The person involved is no longer an employee at the News-Press,” Director of News Operations Don Katich told MyNewsLA.com on Wednesday.
On Christmas morning, the paper where Paul Gonzalez has worked as a crime reporter almost three years inexplicably changed his byline to “Paul Gayzalez” with the further alteration of ‘NEWS-PRESS WRITER” to “NEWS-PRESS FAGGOAT.”
The apparent slurs didn’t go unnoticed.
A Santa Barbara website called edhat (possibly standing for “Every Day Happenings Around Town”) shared reader outrage.
Hey @sbnpnews: what’s this about? pic.twitter.com/rhRZss2ofR
— Max Matthies (@Selfmademax) December 25, 2017
The site included a photo of the byline and said: “This is beyond inappropriate! How does this get past the editor and what professional news press would do this to their accomplished employee. No matter who wrote that at SBNP, it’s not funny or a joke. And it’s Christmas! Beyond disgusted right now.”
Contacted Tuesday morning by MyNewsLA.com, Gonzalez said: “The only comment I want to make is that that wasn’t an edit that was made by me.”
Asked whether he’s seen anyone else’s byline changed in the paper, the UC Merced graduate said: “Not to my knowledge.”
Other than that — and confirming his reportorial assignment and time with the paper — he said: “I’m not going to answer any questions on this matter.”
On Wednesday, the paper printed an apology, saying: “The News-Press has taken immediate and swift action with this employee; we do not tolerate any form of harassment in the workplace. We apologize to our readers.”
News editor Katich told the San Francisco Chronicle that Gonzalez was the victim of a hateful act.
“It was a very poor decision made by an employee who is no longer in a position to make that same mistake,” Katich was quoted as saying, but not naming the offender.
“The employee is represented by the Teamsters,” he added. “There is a process we are obligated to follow when it comes to discipline or termination. The employee is no longer in the building.”
The online version of Paul’s story didn’t include the byline change. Instead, it misspelled his name as Gonzales.
Gonzalez doesn’t mention the affront on his Instagram feed. He apparently deactivated his Twitter feed.
In 2006, five editors and a columnist quit the paper over an unrelated dispute with its new owner, Wendy McCaw. In 2016, the News-Press was the first daily newspaper in the country to endorse Donald Trump for president.