Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake famously described the riots in her city as a tricky balancing act that compelled her to provide space to “those who wished to destroy.”
Her patience with rioters setting fires and trashing police cars seems to extend farther than it does with public radio reporters, who of course have a reputation for being imposing figures continually teetering at the edge of a berserker rage.
The mayor isn’t having it and has suspended WYPR’s Kenneth Burns from attending her Wednesday press conferences indefinitely.
.@MayorSRB says banned @WYPR881FM reporter exhibited "threatening behavior." @PKBNews calls claims baseless https://t.co/gROHzrOkov pic.twitter.com/gScV5kb5wv
— Baltimore Brew (@BaltimoreBrew) October 12, 2016
Maybe Burns can hang out with Yoav Gonen of the New York Post, who has likewise been frozen out by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. What’s with Democrat mayors and the press?
BANNED: @MayorSRB suspends WYPR reporter from her news conference. Why? https://t.co/B2JtTNBcU9 pic.twitter.com/OYP5CObV6K
— Baltimore Brew (@BaltimoreBrew) October 12, 2016
WYPR news director Joel McCord attended in Burns’ place and was told that Burns had “consistently exhibited verbally and physically threatening behavior,” particularly toward the mayor’s staff. “That is all I am going to say,” she concluded, before press secretary Anthony McCarthy, announced, “We’re going to be moving on.”
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Burns suspects his ban is due to his pressing her on a question about policy changes in the Baltimore Police Department. Suspicion will have to do, because the mayor’s office isn’t talking, telling the Baltimore Brew, “We will not be making any further comment on Kenneth Burns.”
I've commented extensively today and I'll probably comment some more. (1/3)
— P. Kenneth Burns (@PKBNews) October 12, 2016
As I've said, the claims of being threatening in anyway are baseless and at no point did Anthony McCarthy get cussed out. (2/3)
— P. Kenneth Burns (@PKBNews) October 12, 2016
What happened today was puzzling and unfortunate. Hopefully after tomorrow I can go back to reporting stories and not being the story. (3/3)
— P. Kenneth Burns (@PKBNews) October 13, 2016
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