A journo in Iowa was reportedly fired for covering a track meet in person and not remotely

Greg P. | 5:44 PM on June 18, 2021

Sports journalist Nick Petaros was reportedly fired from his job with The Courier in Waterloo, Iowa after he dared to travel to a state track meet and cover it in person instead of just reporting on the event remotely:

🧵 This afternoon I was terminated for insubordination following my career at The Courier that dates back to 2008. My great offense was making arrangements to cover the first two days of state track and field in person after being told to cover the event remotely.

— Nick Petaros (@NickPetaros) June 18, 2021

Pestaros said he covered all of the expenses of the trip himself:

I found a friend to stay with in Des Moines and paid for food expenses out of pocket. I was just fired for going above and beyond to do my job. Journalism isn’t a profession that you get into for money. It’s about the opportunity to document some of life’s greatest memories.

— Nick Petaros (@NickPetaros) June 18, 2021

So, is there something else going on here because this sounds pretty nuts:

There’s no substitute for in person coverage and the details gained by being at an event. My supervisors have never questioned the quality of my work even though I have always strived to be better.

— Nick Petaros (@NickPetaros) June 18, 2021

We’re not the only ones asking questions:

Dear @wcfcourier:

Please explain. https://t.co/GyRyfbv042

— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) June 18, 2021

Loved working on the Valley beat next to Nick who has done a great job covering Northern Iowa.

Doesn't surprise me he'd go the extra mile for his readers and he'll do so wherever he lands next. Disappointed by The Courier's decision.

Keep fighting the good fight. https://t.co/qfYSw19Jvv

— Wyatt Wheeler (@WyattWheeler_NL) June 18, 2021